Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift
by Petrificus Somewhatus
Summary: We all know that Hermione went to Slughorn's party with Cormac McLaggen to make Ron jealous. But what if she didn't? What if she came to her senses in time and invited Harry instead? As friends of course.
1. Chapter 1

**Hermione Granger and the Paradigm Shift**

A/N: To set the stage, this story starts very soon after Ron hooks up with Lavender and Hermione sets the birds on him in anger. A few days later in canon Ron makes fun of Hermione in class, sending her running out of the room. In HBP Harry goes to find her and along the way runs into Luna and subsequently ends up asking her to Slughorn's party. In this story instead of stopping to ask Luna to the party, Harry continues to look for Hermione and...well, you'll see.

The first section is pulled directly from HBP so it is from Harry's perspective. In addition there are a few more small bits of dialogue in this chapter taken straight from HBP as well. All parts taken from JK's work are denoted by a** ***.

The remainder of the story will be entirely my words and entirely from Hermione's point of view. I will be doing my best to keep everyone in character as much as possible so if I pull this off successfully there will be no over the top bashing or out of character dramatics. If you've read my prior story you should have a pretty good idea what you are in for.

I hope you enjoy!

* * *

It now seemed impossible that Ron and Hermione would make up with each other before the holidays began, but perhaps, somehow, the break would give them time to calm down, think better of their behavior…

But his hopes were not high, and they sank still lower after enduring a Transfiguration lesson with them both the next day. They had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human Transfiguration: working in front of mirrors, they were supposed to be changing the color of their own eyebrows. Hermione laughed unkindly at Ron's disastrous first attempt, during which he somehow managed to give himself a spectacular handlebar mustache; Ron retaliated by doing a cruel but accurate impression of Hermione jumping up and down in her seat every time Professor McGonagall asked a question, which Lavender and Parvati found deeply amusing and which reduced Hermione to the verge of tears again. She raced out of the classroom on the bell, leaving half her things behind; Harry, deciding that her need was greater than Ron's just now, scooped up her remaining possessions and followed her**.***

* * *

Hermione cursed her emotions as she realized history was repeating itself in all the worst ways. She was, once again, wiping away tears in a toilet and, once again, Ron Weasley was the cause. As much as she had grown, as much as their relationship had evolved, she felt like she had been been thrown violently back to that wretched starting point in first year. Based on how much she had learned over that time she was fairly confident she could now handle a mountain troll. But these feelings toward Ron and the rejection she felt...there hadn't been a spell invented that could help her battle that monster...and Harry couldn't save her this time.

'Enough of this,' she muttered to herself as she exited the stall and began splashing water on her face. She was done hiding in toilets. She would not let _him_ win. In an instant she resolved to ask McLaggen to be her date for Professor Slughorn's party. A few hours of suffering in the company of the egotistical neanderthal would be worth it just to see the look on Ron's face when he found out who she was going with. Hopefully she could ditch the buffoon quickly and spend the rest of the night talking to Harry or Ginny.

As she made her way to the exit Luna Lovegood entered.

"Hello," the Ravenclaw greeted her pleasantly before becoming worried. "Are you alright? Has Myrtle been harassing you?"

Hermione marvelled at Luna's perceptiveness before realizing that the water and a bit of magic had fixed the tears but had done nothing to remove the scowl from her face.

"Hello, Luna," she replied as she furiously fought the desire to cry again. "It's not Myrtle and I'm fine...well I'm not fine but it's nothing new and nothing you can help with. It's just Ron teasing me again. I should be used to it by now I suppose..."

Blast it all, she was crying again.

Before she could compose herself Luna pulled her into a hug, causing the tears to begin falling in earnest. "I'm sorry," she muttered helplessly, simultaneously furious at her weakness and grateful for the release.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Luna said softly as she patted her back, "though I'm not sure that makes it any better. He will probably sort himself out some day."

Hermione chuckled as she pulled back and managed a weak smile. "You're probably right but I won't hold my breath," she lied. She'd been holding her breath for over five years now.

"That's probably wise," Luna replied serenely as she followed Hermione toward the exit.

"Don't you need to use the loo?" Hermione asked.

"It's all right, I can wait for a bit," Luna calmly replied. "I would have liked someone to be there when I've had a cry."

Hermione struggled to come up with a proper reply to the girl's unique brand of honesty. She was saved from answering as she spotted Harry bounding toward them.

"Oh, hello, Harry," said Luna. "Did you know one of your eyebrows is yellow?"*****

Harry briefly glanced at Luna before his worried gaze settled on her. "Hi, Luna. Hermione, you left your stuff-"*****

"Oh yes," she choked out as she subtly tried to wipe her eyes free of tears once again. She'd been reduced to a simpering mess in front of Harry too many times in the last few days and his piteous look was too much for her to handle.

"Thank you, Harry. Well, I'd better get going…"***** she muttered, having no idea where she needed to be going. She simply needed to get _away_, as quickly as possible.

She ducked into the nearest classroom available after she was out of eyeshot and angrily threw her things on a nearby desk. Not for the first time in the term she realized she was unnecessarily dismissive of Harry and cursed her own stubbornness. He only wanted to help.

She had let Luna help but for some reason letting Harry help further was a bridge too far. _She _was supposed to help _him_. She was supposed to track him down when he was upset and angry. He needed her to keep him on task and to make sure he made good decisions. He had too many things on his plate already and she would not add her hormonal nonsense into the mix.

She sank into a nearby chair and buried her head in her hands. She simply needed a few minutes to center herself and then she would track down McLaggen. With any luck she could find him before dinner and then drop the bombshell on Ron in the Great Hall that night.

She'd not even begun to calm down before the classroom door was flung open and Harry's head peeked through. The look of relief when he saw her offset her anger at being tracked down so quickly.

"Hermione!" he exclaimed, "stop running away."

"I'm not running away!" she lied furiously, cringing inwardly as she realized how stupid she sounded.

"Really?" he asked bemusedly. "You needed to 'get going' to this empty room? Must have been really important," he teased.

"Fine," she replied, trying to push back at the smile his comment had elicited. "Well done, you caught me running away. What do you want?"

She watched as Harry opened his mouth to speak before closing it again. After a few seconds he finally responded. "Err...I wanted to ask you for help on that Potions essay due tomorrow."

Her heart warmed at how determined Harry was being in trying to help without having to admit it. He was rubbish at it but that was beside the point.

"If you really want to help than you should speak up when your friend is being an arse," she replied, sounding much harsher than she had intended. She seemed to be doing that a lot to Harry this term.

Harry bowed his head in contrition. "Ron was out of line back there and I reckon I'll have a word with him later."

"About time," she muttered unthinkingly. Why did she keep doing that? Harry was here...trying to help. He didn't deserve any of her ire.

Her thinly veiled insult seemed to spark something in Harry as his face became much more determined.

"Since you've mentioned telling my friends when they are wrong," he began calmly, "you were out of line setting those birds on Ron."

"He deserved it," she replied angrily. He was supposed to be supporting her.

"Ron was a git after the Yule Ball but he didn't attack you," he continued on to her utter annoyance. "You've no right to be mad at him for dating Lavender. He didn't go about it in the best of ways and they are a bit ridiculous in public but he can date whoever he wants."

"And _you_ have no idea what it's like," she replied sadly. "Watching him carrying on like that...and with _Lavender_ of all people."

As annoyed as she was at Harry for criticizing her it felt good to have it out in the open. She had tiptoed around verbalizing her growing feelings for Ron for so long around Harry that the release was cathartic. She felt her frustration receding just a bit and began to calm.

"I have an idea what it's like," he muttered quietly as he slumped down into the seat across from her.

"Ginny?" she asked tentatively, already knowing the answer. She'd noticed the furtive looks he'd been throwing Ginny's way the last few months. Hermione hated to admit it but he had been much more mature and subtle about handling his heartache than she had been.

"Yeah…" he tiredly replied as he stared at the desk. "And I have no right to be angry at her or to sic a flock of bloody birds at her or Dean. Seriously, Hermione, if I had done something like that you would have been outraged."

He was right. She'd known it was wrong immediately but hearing Harry say it out loud drove it home. She felt a few tears forming again but she didn't fight them this time. She felt Harry clumsily reach for her hand and she let him take hold. No matter what happened with Ron it was heartening to know that she had Harry in her life.

"You're right," she conceded after she had gathered herself. "But don't expect me to apologize to _Ronald_ any time soon. Some day, maybe...but not any time soon."

He chuckled at her reply and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that would probably be best. He'd just say something stupid and you'd conjure a dragon or something."

"Don't give me any ideas," she replied with a snort. She realized Harry's eyebrow was still yellow and quickly pulled out her wand to fix it. "That was really well done on the transfiguration, Harry," she complimented as she changed it back to its normal black. "That yellow was the exact shade McGonagall asked for."

"Thanks. I didn't get it as quickly as you though," he replied before standing and looking at his watch.

"It's almost time for dinner. I reckon you'd want to give a pass on the Great Hall tonight. Fancy eating in the kitchen?"

As much as she wanted to rub her plan in Ron's face she realized how much better she felt after talking to Harry. An extended break from the drama and emotions was exactly what she needed.

"I think that is an excellent idea," Hermione replied as she stood to leave and gathered her things. "Thanks, Harry," she commented. She made a mental note to thank Luna as well the next time she saw her.

"S'all right," he muttered as they headed out the door. "So, can we review Potions after dinner?"

* * *

Dinner with Harry had done a wonderful job in calming her down and putting things in perspective. She was now in a much more relaxed state of mind to talk to McLaggen and set her plan in motion. She'd applied a bit more Sleekeazy's than normal, put on a bit of makeup, and was ready to go.

As she descended the stairs, Hermione quickly scanned the common room and was disappointed to not see Cormac anywhere. The slag was attached to the moron at the lips on a nearby couch and she spotted Harry across the room at a nearby table. She watched as Harry quickly stowed away his Potions book upon spotting her. She knew he only asked her for help as a distraction from the moron...he hadn't needed help with Potions all term due to his cheating..but she honestly appreciated the effort. He'd even taken the seat facing Ron so she could have her back to the disgusting hijinks taking place.

As she took a seat Harry shot her a weak smile and slid a long piece of parchment across the table. "I've got most of it done but if you could check the- Did you do something to your hair?"

She unconsciously smoothed her hair and did her best to appear casual. "Thought I'd try changing up my routine a bit. If it's too much-"

"No!" he quickly interrupted, "it's nice." He leaned forward and spoke in a whisper. "It's just...it looked fine before and I don't think you should change it just for him."

"I didn't change it for Ron," she lied. She hadn't changed it for _him_, she'd changed it for Cormac to annoy _him_. That was entirely different.

"Well, that's all right then," Harry replied. She could tell he didn't believe her but was grateful he didn't dwell on it.

She quickly started reading through Harry's essay on potential ingredients to be used in healing potions and felt her fury grow. It was virtually perfect. He had covered all of the relevant points, added in a few ancillary facts to provide further detail, and had done so in roughly half the amount of parchment it had taken her. It would be brilliant if it hadn't been fraudulent.

Hermione looked up to see Harry had busied himself by changing his fingernails to Gryffindor scarlet and gold. Despite herself she was impressed as she watched him cast left handed to give his right hand a matching set.

"I wouldn't change a thing, Harry. But I suppose that's to be expected seeing as the Prince supplied all the answers."

Harry's eyes shot from his handiwork to look at her. He seemed to be trying to push down the anger her words had caused. She felt a bit bad for provoking him after how nice he'd been but it wouldn't be right to let him get away with cheating.

"I didn't use the Prince's book," he stated with forced calm.

"Please," she scoffed, "you must think I'm-"

Her monologue was interrupted as Harry pulled out a much newer looking version of their Potions book and dropped it on the table. "I used Ron's book as a reference. I did it for you…I wanted you to have some things to correct and add so you could get your mind off of Ron and Lavender. I guess I've learned enough about potions already this year thanks to the Prince."

She folded her arms in disbelief. "If that were the case how on earth would you know to suggest Occamy shells could be added to speed up the healing effects? I know for a fact that isn't covered in the standard text. It's rarely mentioned because-"

"The cost of the silver component in the shells makes it impractical to be used for healing potions," Harry interrupted. The Prince made a note about the silver in their shells helping with disinfecting wounds and the cost-"

"So you admit it then," she interrupted triumphantly. "You did need help."

Harry pulled the parchment from her hands and began gathering his things. "I read that two months ago for a different potion and applied what I learned to this assignment. What _I learned_, Hermione.

"Just forget it," Harry muttered and stood up to leave.

"Wait!" she blurted, pulling on his arm. "Just wait...please," she finished in a quieter tone.

She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. Harry didn't deserve any of her nonsense at the moment. He was being very considerate and, most infuriatingly, he had a point. "I'm sorry," she grit out.

Harry slowly sat back down and began pulling out his things again. "S'all right," he said kindly, "I reckon you've had a pretty bad week. If you'd like I could check over your essay. You know...give you some tips on how to improve it."

She let out a small laugh and relaxed once again. "Don't push your luck, Potter," she warned. Why couldn't it be this easy with Ron?

As if on cue Cormac Mclaggen strolled through the portrait hole. This was the perfect opportunity to ask him to the party and Ron would have a front row seat.

"Hermione, could you give me a hand?"

She looked to see Harry once again holding his wand in his left hand and pointing it at his fingernails. "I think I got lucky getting it to work and now I can't get them turned back."

She glanced back at Cormac and realized he was staring at her. He apparently had noticed the little bit extra she had done to her appearance and clearly approved. He shot her a smile and she fought the urge to vomit.

"Hermione?" Harry called once again and held up his hand.

"Oh, right...sorry," she replied as she pulled out her wand and quickly fixed his nails.

"Brilliant. Thanks, Hermione," Harry replied with a grin before continuing to practice.

Hermione smiled to herself as she watched his nails now alternating between green and silver. Apparently he had moved onto the Slytherin colors. "Not bad, Harry," she complimented.

"It really brings out my eyes don't you think?" he joked as he held up his hand and displayed his work.

She laughed and realized there was a much better, much saner option than having to spend an evening with Cormac. "Harry, have you found a date for Professor Slughorn's party yet?"

"No," he grunted out as he continued practicing. He'd moved onto the Ravenclaw colors now.

"Would you like to go with me? As friends?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes!" he blurted, clearly relieved that he could stop worrying about the task. "You're a lifesaver, Hermione."

Hermione realized she was just as relieved and smiled. "Have you been able to manage violet? That one gave me a bit of trouble."

Harry scrunched his face in concentration and cast the spell, causing a large shock of purple hair to sprout on the back of his hand.

"Well, it's violet. I suppose that's something," he joked as he reversed the effect.

She grabbed his wrist and moved his wand closer. "You need to be a bit more precise with your wand motion. That's what worked for me." As she guided his hand through the proper motion she immediately thought back to her overbearing instructions on how to pronounce _Wingardium Leviosa..._which made her think of Ron...which annoyed her.

But this was Harry. He listened to her advice intently and tried again, producing a deep violet hue on his thumbnail.

"A Ha!" he exclaimed in triumph.

Despite the many things they had in common Hermione was immensely grateful that Harry was, quite often, nothing like Ron.

* * *

A/N: If you are a fan of the Harmony pairing I strongly encourage you to join the Discord at discord dot gg/2GcXw8R. It's chock full of great people and is a great resource for finding the best Harry/Hermione fics out there.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As she assessed her appearance in the mirror Hermione allowed herself a small smile. For the second day in a row she had spent a few extra minutes tamping down the stubborn fuzzball that was her hair and was pleased with the results. If she was honest with herself her main motivation was still to show Ron a bit of what he was missing but that wasn't the only reason. She honestly liked how it looked.

"You look lovely today," her mirror chimed in. "Can we expect this to be your new routine going forward?" the mirror asked, the hopefulness apparent in their voice.

The mirror had stayed relatively quiet over the years after a harsh comment early in first year had led to Hermione lecturing for fifteen minutes on improving one's appearance being a false and easy crutch to hide from and ignore self worth issues. Hermione wasn't sure if it was the substance or the volume of the message that had cowed the mirror but regardless, their comments from then on had been much milder and much less frequent.

"I'm considering it," Hermione answered. "Do you really think it suits me?"

"Oh yes!" the mirror replied. "It's amazing how taking just a bit more time can make such a difference. Not that you didn't look fine before, but the small change suits you," it hastily added.

"Thank you," Hermione replied with a smile as she grabbed her bag.

Despite Hermione knowing intellectually that the mirror's personality wasn't 'real', she'd always felt a bit bad for the magical item. Lavender and Parvati seemed to have daily consultations with their mirrors. It was all Hermione could do not to start flinging hexes listening to Lavender droning on about her _Won-Won_ the last few mornings. The Yule ball had been her mirror's one night of glory surrounded by days and days of boring sameness. Hermione decided to throw her a bone.

"I'll be attending a get together tonight so I'll be taking a stab at using a bit more makeup and maybe a few mild beauty charms later."

"Really?" the mirror replied in hopeful disbelief. "I know just the thing!" it continued in a much louder voice, the years old dam holding back its tamped down enthusiasm temporarily forgotten.

"Nothing too crazy, mind you," Hermione clarified. Best not to set unrealistic expectations.

"Of course, of course," the mirror quickly replied. Although they meant for the tone of their reply to be muted it was clear that Christmas had arrived early. Six years worth of Christmases.

"Enjoy your day!" the mirror happily shouted as she left the room.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and was disappointed to see that only Harry was waiting for her. Despite the turmoil of the last few days she missed Ron's presence. Greatly.

A bit of it was informed by the years of insecurity she felt that the trio's friendship could end at any time. That without Ron or Harry around to entertain and lighten the mood the other would grow bored and seek out other, more interesting people. After over five years of friendship she knew it was silly but she suspected the feeling would never go away entirely.

"Ron went on ahead...I told him we'd catch up with him at breakfast," Harry supplied as they exited the common room.

They walked in silence for several minutes until Harry spoke again. "Your hair looks nice...uhh...again," he clumsily blurted.

She smiled to herself. Only Harry would be so awkward at giving a compliment that it somehow made it even more endearing. He was trying so hard. She was so glad she hadn't invited McLaggen.

"It didn't take too much effort and I knew I'd be doing a bit extra for the party later, anyway. My mirror was thrilled," she replied with a laugh.

Harry snorted. "Mine gave up on me as a lost cause years ago. The best I can rate is _it doesn't look as bad as usual_.

"You don't need to worry, Harry," she reassured. "Girls_ love_ your hair."

"You're joking," he scoffed.

"You have no idea," she replied in annoyance. The number of comments that Hermione had been subjected to on the topic during her time at Hogwarts was unnerving. Ginny alone could write a novel opining on Harry's locks with enough thoughts on his eyes to warrant a sequel.

Thankfully over the last couple of years Ginny had grown fond of the things that had made Harry truly special as well. Based on the glances Ginny still shot at Harry when Dean wasn't around it was clear she was still a big fan of the hair and the eyes though.

"You do this thing where you run your hand through your hair when you're working through a spell in class or when we're studying. Girls completely lose the plot."

"Stop teasing, Hermione," Harry replied in disbelief. He'd grown so used to the staring over the years he no longer gave a thought to the reactions he garnered...especially the positive ones.

"I'm not teasing," she reassured. "When we were working on Transfiguration last night half of the girls and a few of the boys couldn't keep their eyes off of you."

To her joy Hermione had also noted that Ron kept sneaking envious glances their way, clearly wishing he could have been sat with him. With the party nonsense sorted Hermione and Harry had spent the remainder of the evening challenging each other to more complex color combinations and patterns. The joking and relaxed conversation were a welcome relief to the scowling and scolding she had been doing so often lately.

"Well, I'm sure it's down to _this_ anyway," he muttered in annoyance, pointing to his scar.

"It's different this year," she noted sincerely, "after Dumbledore's Army and the Department of Mysteries."

"I'll take your word for it," he answered grimly.

"Don't worry, Harry," she teased, patting him on the arm. "I'll protect you from your admiring public."

"My hero," he grunted as they entered the Great Hall.

Her good mood evaporated slightly as she spotted Lavender tittering over something Ron had said.

"We can sit at the other end if-"

"No," she forcefully interrupted. Last night taught her that acting the idiot and purposely avoiding or antagonising Ron would be letting him win. She would not let him win. She noticed the slight unease on Ron's face as she casually took the seat directly across, paying him no mind. It felt good to win despite how small and petty the victory was.

Lavender giggled at something Ron muttered and it immediately set her nerves on edge. "She's a bit ridiculous these days," Parvati said in a hushed tone beside her. Hermione suspected the girl felt bad for laughing so hard at Ron's joke yesterday.

"Young love," Hermione mused sarcastically, drawing a laugh from Parvati. Hermione had spoken quietly enough that Lavender could not have heard exactly what was said but based on her annoyed expression she knew it was most likely _about_ her. Yes, small victories were important.

"Looking forward to the party tonight?" Parvati asked.

"I am, actually," Hermione replied honestly. "Are you going?"

"Didn't get asked," she replied with a sad shake of the head. "Who are you going with?"

"Harry. As friends," she hastily added. She spotted the smug expression on Ron's face in hearing she hadn't secured a proper date and, surprisingly, wasn't nearly as annoyed as she expected.

"I love what you've done with your hair by the way," Parvati complimented.

"Thanks," she replied pleasantly in a voice purposely loud enough for Ron to hear. "It's just something I decided to try on a whim the other day. Harry said he liked it so I decided to keep up with the routine. _Some people_ are worth the extra effort."

She didn't have to look to know that Ron was scowling again...she could practically _feel _it.

Small victories were excellent.

* * *

To her surprise she actually made it down to the common room before Harry. She had worried the extra time she spent getting ready would have forced Harry to wait but thankfully she was mistaken.

Unfortunately however, McLaggen was there. Her stomach turned again as he blatantly leered at her. "Looking good, Granger. Save me a dance, yeah?" he said confidently as he exited through the portrait hole. She suddenly felt the urge to take a shower.

"Wow," she heard from behind her and turned to see Harry standing at the bottom of his dormitory steps. "You look great, Hermione."

She felt her face warm at his compliment and noticed how nice he looked as well. Even better than normal. "You too, Harry. Did_ you _do something to _your_ hair?"

It still looked a bit of a mess...it wouldn't be Harry if it didn't...but it looked like a slightly more organized and planned out mess.

"Yeah," he said as he bowed his head. "Seamus showed me a spell to help keep some of it in place. My mirror was speechless."

"It looks very nice," she complimented.

"What can I say, you inspired me," he replied with a chuckle.

Hermione realized that the volume of female voices in the room had grown much quieter as well. Apparently she wasn't the only one who approved of Harry's efforts. Harry, unsurprisingly, had no clue.

Seamus bounded up to Harry sporting a huge grin. "I told ya, Harry," he said as he playfully punched his arm and sat down at a nearby couch.

"What did he tell you?" Hermione asked, somewhat afraid of what nonsense had come out of Seamus' mouth.

"He said the girls' fann-" Harry began before stopping abruptly and looking around in embarrassment. "He said the girls would like it. Ready?"

"He's not wrong," she said amusedly as she wrapped an arm through his and pulled him toward the exit. It was only after they had made their way out of the room that she realized she hadn't thought to look for Ron in the common room. Another victory.

* * *

As they entered Professor Slughorn's office Hermione marveled at the spectacle in front of her. It was, quite simply, the most attractive group of people she had ever seen together. To a person the adults in the room exuded an easy confidence that they simply _belonged _there. Most of the students, however, seemed utterly terrified and unsure of what they should be doing. Slughorn's prior get together had been nice but it was nothing like this.

Harry simply looked unimpressed and unenthusiastic. She was not surprised.

It was clear that Professor Slughorn had cast several expansion charms in the room as it's normal configuration could not have held so many people in addition to the band and dance floor.

As frivolous and shallow as it was she felt an odd sort of validation that she...the pushy, stuck up mudblood... was there…with these people. Parkinson and her crude sense of entitlement based on nothing more than her parents money and who she opened her legs for would have stuck out like a tacky sore thumb. She didn't though. She belonged...and so did Harry...whether he wanted to or not.

She was broken out of her musings as a beaming Slughorn bounded to their side. "M'boy, I'm so glad you could make it. And you too of course, Miss Granger!"

"Thank you, sir," she replied, "I appreciate you thinking of us."

He gave her a dismissive hand wave. "Of course you would be invited. How could I not invite my two best students?"

As much as she wanted to be flattered it spoiled it a bit that he was falsely praising Harry as well. She mentally reminded herself to not ruin the evening with her stubbornness.

"What's that smell, professor?" Harry interjected in a tone that suggested he was not impressed with Slughorn's comment and wanted a change of topic.

She didn't think it possible but the professor's grin grew even larger. "Just something I came up with a few years back. Do you like it?"

"I...do," Harry replied uncertainly. Hermione thought it was quite pleasant as well.

"What would you say the scent reminded you of?" Slughorn continued. Based on the expression on his face he already knew what Harry's answer would be.

"It smells like...well, actually I don't know what it smells like...but I know I like it," Harry slowly answered.

Harry had verbalized her thoughts exactly. It was so pleasant and unusual...yet so familiar. As she focused on the scent she felt slightly more comfortable and relaxed. Magic was clearly at play

"That's because you haven't," Slughorn enthused. "It's a variant of the Amortentia potion I created several years ago."

"Don't worry, don't worry," Slughorn reassured as Harry's expression hardened. "The ingredients that would key the potion to a specific person are obviously not included and it is infinitely less powerful than Amortentia. No one will be losing their minds or changing their personalities...simply relaxing a bit and feeling at ease. It is a party after all!"

"Is it airborne sir?" Hermione asked, fascinated by the execution of such a potion. Normally she would be annoyed at someone using a potion so casually to affect people's emotions but she found herself not being bothered in this instance. Whether it was because she was at a party where people were meant to relax and enjoy themselves or the potion was doing its job she wasn't sure.

"Five points to Gryffindor!" Slughorn praised. "There are small cauldrons placed throughout the room. The potion becomes airborne due to the heat being applied. The tricky part comes into play with the amount of heat present. As more is released into the air there is less potion in the cauldron. What is left becomes hotter due to the lower volume, releasing at a greater rate. Any theories how I manage this inconsistency?"

Before she could posit a theory Harry spoke. "You don't have a fire under the cauldron...it's some sort of heating spell applied to the surface."

Slughorn's eyes bulged in excitement. Clearly Harry was on the right track. "And…" he prompted Harry to continue.

"The spell is designed for the heat to decrease over time...because when there is less potion the heat would need to be lower in order to maintain the same amount being released into the air."

"Ten points to Gryffindor!" Slughorn nearly shouted. "Wait until I tell Severus how quickly you worked it out! I've been telling him what a natural you are at Potions but he was not hearing it."

Hermione, for her part, was shocked.

The solution was perfectly logical and she was positive she would have come to the same solution with a little more time. But this was Harry...and he had sorted it out so quickly...most likely thanks to the Prince. Suddenly Slughorn's potion was no match for her stubbornness and she felt a bit of annoyance growing.

But through the haze of anger Hermione thought of Harry's comment from the prior night. Despite the source of the information it was clear that Harry had _learned_ the solution. She mentally cringed as she realized her dismissive attitude toward Harry was remarkably similar to Professor Snape.

"That was well thought out, Harry," she complimented honestly. She would _not _treat Harry like Professor Snape.

"Thanks," he replied quietly, bowing his head in slight embarrassment. She realized her simple comment appeared to mean more to him than Slughorn's gushing praise

"M'boy, there are a few people here that you must meet," Slughorn stated, quickly wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulder and directing him across the room. It all happened very quickly and smoothly...as if Harry had been hit by a bus in the most pleasant way possible.

Hermione began to follow and a voice spoke from behind.

"Best to leave them to it," the voice supplied. "He won't give up until your friend makes the proper connections. If you let him have his fun now he'll leave you two alone for the rest of the night."

She turned to look at the source of the advice. He was a middle aged man...calm and casual...extremely comfortable in his own skin. There was a handsomeness to his face that suggested he was quite the catch when he was younger. The years and his seeming inattentiveness to staying in shape had dulled the impact...but it was there.

"Klaus Dagworth," he supplied warmly, offering his hand in greeting.

"Hermione Granger," she greeted cautiously as she shook his hand, still a bit taken aback by the stranger's forthrightness. The man's eyes lit up in recognition.

"Ahhh...I was hoping to meet you tonight," he answered, clearly pleased at the turn of events.

Hermione instantly felt on edge, realizing that this was simply another moron wanting to get closer to Harry. He had most likely read Skeeter's articles from fourth year and was coming to all the wrong conclusions.

"I'm not sure what your expectations are but Harry is my friend and he doesn't like people who fawn over him."

"Who?" Dagworth answered, now clearly confused.

"You want me to introduce you to Harry Potter, right? Well it's not going to happen," she stated, folding her arms in annoyance.

"That was Harry Potter?" he asked as he motioned to a nearby couch, inviting her to sit. "He's shorter than I expected."

As the man sat Hermione stood firm, arms still folded. "You expect me to believe you know me but not Harry? I may be a student but I'm not stupid, you know."

He held up his hands in contrition. "Let's begin again. I go by Klaus but my proper name is Nickolas."

Nickolas Dagworth...the name sounded familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

"I work at the Ministry...in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," he continued.

Then it clicked. He was the person who had politely responded to all of her impassioned letters regarding house-elf rights. Her mind coursed through all of the outraged insults this man had to suffer through thanks to her. Despite her rantings his replies were always polite and gracious, always thanking her for her advocacy and updating her on the department's ongoing efforts.

"Oh god," she muttered in embarrassment as she took a seat.

He laughed and gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder and handing her a drink. "There's nothing to apologize for, Miss Granger. Your passion and empathy on the subject was a breath of fresh air. Although sorting out the elves you set free from Hogwarts was a bit of a wrench."

"It worked?" she asked, stunned and pleased that her knitting had yielded results.

"Just temporarily until the elves caught on to what you were doing. We were able to re-establish the bond relatively quickly for the few who fell for it," he reassured.

Typical. She should have known his kind words were just that...words to placate a schoolgirl on a pointless crusade.

"Well you certainly lived up to your department's name. Wizards and Witches must establish control, right? Can't mess with the brainwashing after all."

She expected him to laugh and patronize her for being so naive. Instead he waited for her to calm before speaking.

"As I recall from your letters you are muggleborn. Are your parents still married?" he asked inexplicably.

"Yes," she replied.

"Happily?"

"Of course," she snapped. "I'm not sure what point you are trying to make but-"

He interrupted without pretense. "If there had been a clerical error with their marriage registration and they'd legally never been married would you expect them to go their separate ways?"

"That's entirely different," she scoffed. Her instincts were right. He was patronizing her.

"So if a house elf chooses to bond it's brainwashing but if two human beings choose to marry it's free will? Why is one different than the other?"

She sat back and considered...really considered his words. She'd heard the argument before and it did have merit. But as much as it made sense it still felt like an oversimplification and an easy excuse. Just like his letters he was big on talk without the actions.

"So better to do nothing then?" she scoffed in reply.

"No," he said with a chuckle. "We keep fighting for regulations requiring proper treatment and to allow elves to make the choice to bond or unbond themselves."

"And how is that progressing?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"Slowly...too slowly," he replied tiredly. "You have no idea how slowly. Sluggy had such high hopes for me," he chuckled.

"Sluggy?" she replied in amusement. Do you mean Professor Slughorn? Why would he be disappointed in you? You're a department head."

He motioned to the party going around them. "Do you see the people here? Celebrities...athletes...people in real positions of power. Sluggy fully expected me to be right there with them. _Minister for Magic before you're forty m' boy_," he mimicked in a voice eerily similar to the Potions professor.

"I was top in my year... hyper focused on being the best and making a difference. But I've stayed in the least respected department in the Ministry since graduation."

"What happened?" she asked.

"I quickly realized I was making a difference where I was...where I needed to be... and the other nonsense just got in the way."

"Nonsense?"

"Things like this," he answered, as he once again motioned to the room. "Sluggy's parties are all right but you know what I mean. Meaningless get togethers where you pretend to be interested in talking to people you have nothing in common with and normally would never talk to."

"I'm surprised he still invites you after all these years," she observed. "I would think he'd forget about the people he thinks are disappointments."

Dagworth quirked an eyebrow as he considered her comment. "You think he just does this for the prestige of being associated with these people, don't you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" It seemed blatantly obvious to her.

Dagworth chuckled. "That's part of it for sure...but only a small part. He's very good at identifying talented people and helping them with what they need for the future. Not necessarily what they _want _mind you...but what they _need_. He's a Slytherin in the best of ways."

Hermione scoffed in indignation. "I think you are giving him far too much credit." She liked the man but it was clear to her that Professor Slughorn was thoroughly shallow and selfish in the relationships he cultivated.

Dagworth took a drink and leaned back. "From first year on I was the top in Sluggy's class. Always the first to answer his questions...always the highest marks. But as the years went on he started muting his praise in class and fawning over other students' lesser efforts. It was a bit infuriating if I'm honest."

Hermione silently commiserated with the man's frustrations. Seeing others receiving more recognition for inferior work was maddening.

"It took me many years and several glasses of mead before I built up enough nerve to bring it up with Sluggy. He wasn't surprised...or angry…he just smiled. Then he annoyingly pointed out how much harder I worked in his class over the last few years than I would have…that I'd grown a bit conceited in my status in the class and was beginning to cut corners."

Hermione could see where his story was heading and didn't like it one bit.

"Then he started naming all of the people he thought I felt had received too much praise and started ticking off why. The muggleborn girl who was a bit quiet and unsure of herself, the son of the Minister for Magic saddled with unreasonable expectations but was simply an 'above average' student, the bloke who was always second in our year and was constantly reminded of that fact. He named off every one I was thinking of and his reasons for doing it."

She thought about Harry and how little he'd been praised over the years for something he actually deserved to be praised for...something as simple as doing well in class. About how much Ginny had come into her own over the last few months. How much more determined she herself had become to prove that she deserved the praise in Potions.

"Do you know that man speaking to your Mr. Potter?"

She looked over to see Harry speaking to an older gentleman. Harry wasn't actually speaking very much...he was listening as the man droned on enthusiastically. She also noticed a small group of girls nearby doing their best to appear as casual as possible while they openly stared at Harry. Harry, of course, had no clue.

"His name is Elred Worple," Dagworth supplied. He's a writer...a biographer to be precise. I'm sure right now he is trying to convince Mr. Potter to let him write his life story."

Hermione laughed. "Well I'm sorry to disprove your theory about Professor Slughorn but that is the last thing Harry needs or wants."

"Maybe today," Dagworth continued, "but I'm sure Sluggy didn't expect Mr. Potter would accept the offer tonight. But what about ten years from now? How many unauthorized biographies full of nonsense will have been written by then? At that point Mr. Potter might want someone...someone he can trust...to tell his story."

Hermione opened her mouth to dispute Dagworth's assertion and abruptly closed it once again. She remembered back to how unwilling Harry had initially been in speaking with Rita Skeeter for the Quibbler article last year. But that article had done a world of good.

She looked up to see Slughorn now smoothly guiding Harry to someone else: a rather imposing, serious looking woman that she instantly recognized. She had met Gwenog Jones at Slughorn's last party and had not been impressed. The woman had been a little too pleased with Ginny's gushing and a little too uninterested in her simply because she didn't play Quidditch.

"So what's her purpose, then?" she asked, pointing their way.

"Well, Sluggy forced Mr. Potter to take his tonic introducing him to Worple so I'm guessing this is his reward. Everyone deserves a reward for taking their tonic. That's Gwenog Jones, captain of the Holyhead Harpies."

"While I can see why Professor Slughorn would think Harry would like that, he's wrong," Hermione chided. Harry wants to be an auror once he graduates and someone recruiting him for their Quidditch team because of his celebrity would be just as annoying to him as Worple."

Dagworth chuckled. "I take it you don't follow professional Quidditch. The Harpies are an all female team so unless Mr. Potter subjected himself to some very specific transfigurations she isn't trying to recruit him."

Dagworth scratched his chin in contemplation. "From what I know of her Gwenog couldn't give two shits about fame or celebrity. She only cares about one thing: playing and talking about Quidditch. I know she scouts the Hogwarts matches whenever she can attend and has probably seen your Harry play. From what I've heard he's quite good and Gwenog loves talking Quidditch with good players. I'm guessing she's been bored out of her mind tonight with this lot. Does Mr. Potter like talking about Quidditch?"

"You have no idea," she said in disgust.

"Well there you have it," he said triumphantly. "I'm sure she's dissecting the matches she's seen him play and coaching him on how he can improve. I'm guessing your Mr. Potter is most likely used to people fawning over him. Gwenog won't hold back in telling him what he could do better."

Hermione looked back and saw Gwenog now hunched over, mimicking riding a broom. She seemed to be explaining something and Harry was nodding his head, intently listening to every word spoken and occasionally adding to the discussion.

"Fine," she replied grudgingly, "you might be right about Professor Slughorn. But if that's the case who am I meant to be talking to?"

He held out his hand once more, a smug expression on his face. "Nice to meet you. I'm Nickolas Dagworth."

Hermione shook his hand again and smiled. "So are you the tonic or the reward?"

"I think I might be both," he laughed.

She smiled and spotted Ginny out of the corner of her eye making her way toward Harry and Gwenog, Dean following quickly in tow. Harry had done his best the last few days to distract her from Ron. Now it was time to repay the favor.

"Well, it's been a pleasure Mr. Dagworth but I think I need to save Harry from having to drink more tonic."

He nodded and smiled as she stood to leave. "It was a pleasure meeting you. You two make a lovely couple," he complimented.

"We aren't- we're just friends," she corrected before quickly making her way toward the group. Ginny was now excitedly talking to Gwenog while Harry looked like he wanted to flee. Rapidly.

She made her way through the gaggle of girls who had set up shop near Harry's new location and grabbed his hand once again.

"Excuse me," she interrupted smoothly before turning to look at Harry. "You promised me a dance, Harry."

"Err...right," he mumbled as she led him away. "It was nice to meet you, thanks for the advice" he called back to the group. Hermione noticed a disappointed expression flash on Ginny's face as they headed toward the dance floor.

"Thanks for the rescue, Hermione," Harry said gratefully. "I'm rubbish at dancing though."

"Don't worry, Harry," she reassured. "You only have to suffer through one song to keep up appearances. Besides, the music they've been playing is much slower and casual...no formal danci-"

But her speech was interrupted as Filch quickly bounded past them, furiously dragging Draco Malfoy by the ear.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Hermione cursed internally as she quickly moved to follow Harry. They had just eavesdropped on Slughorn's awkward conversation with Filch and Malfoy. While Harry had been intensely focused on the conversation she had been focused on Harry. The concentration on his face reminded her of what he looked like when focusing on catching the snitch. Both activities were equally as pointless in Hermione's view.

As Snape pulled Malfoy away Harry barely waited a moment before heading to follow them.

"Harry, don't be foolish," she whispered in desperation, tugging on his arm to stop.

He pulled his arm free and continued toward the door. "Something is going on, Hermione. Did you see Draco? I'll be back," he muttered, never taking his eyes off the exit.

She grabbed his arm once again, pulling him harder and forcing him to stop. "This obsession is ridiculous...Dumbledore said we shouldn't worry...we need to trust the Headmaster," she pleaded.

Harry took a deep breath, frustration evident on his face. "I know what Dumbledore says, you seem to remind me of it everyday. But he's been wrong loads of times and I know what I see. I get it...I should have been smarter last year and you don't trust my judgement anymore."

He forcefully pulled his arm away and began toward the door before stopping and looking back. "I give you permission to tell me 'I told you so' once I'm proven wrong but until then I'm going to keep trying. If you don't feel like helping that's fine...but please stop fighting me."

And with that he disappeared through the door.

Her heart sank as Harry's words repeated in her mind. Had it gotten so bad that he thought she no longer believed in him? She knew Harry wasn't infallible...that he was prone to miss details and didn't always work as hard as he could...but she always believed in him...more than anything or anyone else in her life. Her faith and belief in Harry was an irrevocable part of her at this point. The fact that he didn't realize this drove home how out of sorts she had been acting.

She looked at the door and a decision was made. She believed in Harry and Harry believed that Malfoy was a legitimate threat. It was time to start helping once again. 'You are such an idiot, Hermione,' she muttered under her breath as she quickly exited the party in search of Harry.

But despite her best efforts Harry was nowhere to be found. After several minutes of fruitless searching she realized the prudent thing was to return to the party and simply wait for Harry's return. He promised he would come back and Harry didn't break promises.

She quickly grabbed a drink and casually kept her eye on the door, eager for Harry's return. As she sipped the fruity concoction she realized it had a certain kick that she was not used to and surmised that it contained alcohol. Whatever it was it tasted lovely and it seemed to settle her nerves as she waited for Harry's return.

"There you are!" she heard from behind, cringing at the smarmy tone.

"Hello, Cormac," she greeted coolly as she grabbed another drink. "Enjoying the party?" she offered half-heartedly, hoping to end the conversation as quickly as possible.

"Much better now that I've tracked you down," he replied smoothly. "You promised me a dance, Granger."

Her skin crawled at the thought of having to dance with this talking mop. Before she could politely inform the mop that she had made no such promise another voice joined the conversation.

"Sorry, McLaggen. Hermione promised the next dance to me," Harry chimed in pleasantly as he grabbed her hand and smoothly pulled her away.

"I'll catch you later, Granger," McLaggen called as the pair walked away.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, Cormac," Harry replied, "I'm really in the mood to cut a rug."

Hermione chuckled and downed the remains of her second drink, setting it on a nearby table.

"Thank you for the rescue, Harry," she stated as they began swaying to the music. "How did you know I find Cormac repellant?"

"Dunno actually. I suppose Cormac seemed like the last person you would want to dance with," he supplied. "He's a bit of a moron isn't he?"

"More than a bit," she answered as she moved closer to Harry, leaning next to his ear. She didn't want anyone else to overhear the next bit of their conversation.

"How did your reconnaissance mission go?" she asked in a near whisper.

She felt Harry tense. "I really don't want to fight, Hermione," he replied quietly. "I know you followed me so you could stop me."

"I didn't-" she snapped before catching herself. Her tone was too sharp...she was being too defensive.

She forced herself to relax and tried again. "I didn't follow you so I could stop you. I...wanted to help."

Harry remained silent for several moments before leaning in. "Really?", he asked, the hope and relief palpable in his tone.

"Yes," she confirmed. "I thought about what you said and you were right. I'm tired of fighting with you, Harry. As long as you promise to hear me out if I disagree I really do want to help."

She felt Harry relax and give her a gentle squeeze of acknowledgement. It was amazing how much better she felt.

"How did I miss you?" she eventually asked. "Have you been practicing your disillusionment charms behind my back?"

He chuckled. "I used my invisibility cloak. I've started carrying it around whenever I can...just in case."

"That was smart," she complimented. "A bit paranoid, but smart."

"For what it's worth I felt really bad when you walked by me...both times," he chuckled.

"Why didn't you grab me?" she admonished, lightly punching him on the shoulder.

"Too busy listening," he informed her as the song ended. Hermione felt oddly disappointed that the dance seemed to go by so quickly.

"Fancy another go," he asked as she began to pull away, "you were right...that was loads better than the Yule ball."

She quickly scanned the room and saw that Cormac, Ginny and Harry's flock of admirers were all looking at them. "I would love to," she said with a smile as the music resumed.

After several moments Hermione became impatient. "So..." she prodded, "what did they say?"

"I'll tell you later," he replied. "There's too many people here and I'm enjoying myself."

Maybe it was Slughorn's potion, maybe it was the two fruity drinks she had consumed, but she found herself agreeing with Harry. They could discuss the Draco problem later. She relaxed and moved a bit closer.

"This_ is_ nice," she supplied. "I forgot how much I enjoyed dancing at the Yule Ball...until Ronald ruined it of course."

She felt Harry's chuckle of acknowledgement. "Can I ask you something?" he asked tentatively. "If you don't want to answer you don't have to."

"Go on," she ordered, curious as to what was to come.

"Why Ron?" he asked. "I mean...don't get me wrong...he's my mate and I think he's brilliant...but you and him...you row so often…"

"I've asked myself the same question...many times," she answered with a sigh. "Why do you fancy Ginny?"

"She's funny and smart...we get on well...we have a few things in common...she's pretty," he quickly supplied.

"You make it sound so simple," she lamented.

"Isn't that the point?" he asked in bemusement.

She unconsciously laid her head on Harry and realized it fitted perfectly into the small of his shoulder...much better than fourth year when she barely reached Viktor's chest. As fond as she was of Viktor spending time with him always felt a bit like she was playing at being a grown up. And she had to speak very slowly...which was a bit annoying.

"I can tell you when it started but it might upset you," she warned.

"This should be good," he replied, "go on then."

"It was after fourth year," she began, "while we were at Grimmauld and you were still stuck with your relatives." She heard Harry hum in acknowledgement and continued.

"After what had happened to you in the third task and then seeing you shipped back to those awful people...not being able to tell you what was going on and worrying for your safety...I was a bit of a mess."

"Sorr-"

"Not your fault," she interrupted before he could apologize. "Anyway...Ron was really sweet. He eased up on the teasing and did all of his summer work with me without complaint. He let me whinge as much as I wanted about how unfairly you were being treated and how worried I was about you. And then you showed up and were so cross with everything and everyone…"

"I'm really sorr-"

She lightly stepped on his foot to stop him from trying to apologize again. "Like I said...not your fault. You had every right to be upset. I would have been furious if it had been me. Where was I?"

"Ron let you whinge and I showed up angry," he supplied.

"Right...well after you showed up we became a bit of a team, I suppose. We didn't really plan on it but we ended up being a bit nicer to each other all year because we knew you needed our help and would use any excuse to isolate yourself from us if we were too annoying."

"So...because I was a tosser you were nicer to each other?" he asked.

"You weren't a tosser, Harry," she admonished. "You were just less patient with us because of everything going on so we behaved ourselves a bit more."

"So now that I'm sane again you two are free to go back to being at each other's throats?" he asked in confusion.

She lightly slapped his shoulder. "You were_ always_ sane, Harry. You've handled so many horrible things so well...so much better than I could have managed. I wish you wouldn't say those sorts of things."

"I'm sorr-" he began before stopping himself. "Go on."

She relaxed into him a bit more. "I really thought Ron and I might take the next step this year but the claws seem to have come back out. Spending time around him...especially if you're not around...seems like such a chore now. Nothing like-"

She stopped herself as the revelation rattled around in her brain.

"Nothing like what?" he prompted.

She took a deep breath and continued as casually as possible. "Nothing like this...with you." It was true...even with their brief argument earlier in the evening she couldn't imagine a scenario where she would have had a better time if Ron had been her date.

"I wish I'd asked you to the Yule Ball," he said in agreement. "I was dreading tonight but this has been fun. If you had told me I would spend forty five minutes straight on the dance floor and enjoy it I would have said you were barmy."

"Don't be ridiculous, we haven't been dancing for-"

She suddenly stopped as she glanced at her watch and confirmed Harry was right. It felt like it had been a fraction of that time.

As if on cue the song came to an end. "I'm a bit parched from all this relaxing," Harry joked, "fancy taking a break for a drink?"

She spotted the waiter carrying the delicious fruity drinks and instantly agreed with Harry's suggestion. "Yes," she replied cheerfully, pulling him toward the concoction.

"Not bad," Harry complimented after taking a sip. "You reckon there is alcohol in this?"

"Definitely," she said with an approving smile, taking a large drink.

Harry laughed. "Hermione Jane Granger," he playfully admonished, "you are behaving very unlike a Prefect right now."

She frowned. "Am I really that awful, normally?" she asked sadly.

"Nah, I like Prefect Hermione too. I think I'd be lost without her if I'm being honest. It's nice to have this version come out to play every once in awhile though."

She smiled and took another drink. "Good answer!" she exclaimed louder than she intended. Apparently three fruity drinks was her limit.

Harry raised an eyebrow in amusement at her comment before spotting something over her shoulder and becoming more serious. Hermione instantly became irritated as it seemed their good time was about to be interrupted once more.

Harry quickly grabbed her now empty glass and placed it on a nearby table.

"Fancy another dance?" he asked her more loudly than necessary as he grabbed her hand.

"Sure," she said in confusion. She honestly did want to dance more but Harry's invitation had been so jarring.

As they began moving to the song Harry leaned in. "Cormac was headed back over...thought I would head him off before he got to you," he supplied.

"Thank you, Harry," she replied, laying her head back in it's now familiar position. "I honestly don't know why he is being so persistent."

"Really?" Harry asked in confusion.

"Really what?"

"And you think I'm dense about people fancying me," he said with a chuckle. "Loads of blokes think you're pretty. I think most are too intimidated to do anything about it though. Cormac's ego is too big to worry about that sort of thing I reckon."

She smiled to herself and relaxed a bit further into Harry. "I'm so glad we are being nice to each other again...and thank you."

"Me too...and you're welcome," Harry answered. "Let's promise to keep it up when we start disagreeing again tomorrow.

"I promise," she offered sincerely as she pulled back and looked into his smiling eyes. They really were lovely.

They continued to dance for several more songs until Hermione noticed the party seemed to be dying down and the dance floor was decidedly more empty. As fun as it had been she realized she was a bit tired as well.

"Are you ready to leave, Harry?" she asked once the song ended.

She watched as Harry looked around the room and a genuine look of surprise bloomed on his face.

"I thought I'd be the first one to leave," he joked as he nodded in agreement and began to move off the dance floor. She was surprisingly disappointed at the loss of contact. After saying a quick goodbye to their host they swiftly headed out of the room.

They had made it a few steps down the hall before Harry stopped abruptly and pulled out his invisibility cloak.

"I'll be right back," he informed as he disappeared from sight and re-entered the party.

A few minutes later she watched as the door seemingly opened by itself and a grinning Harry appeared beside her, fruity drink in hand.

"Thought you'd like one more," he said with a smile as he handed her the drink.

"I don't know, Harry," her responsible side replied. "That last one really affected me and we still need to talk about Draco and Professor Snape."

"We can talk about the conniving gits tomorrow," he replied reassuringly. "This is is our night off."

"Someone might see me," she replied worryingly.

"Ahh...good point," he said before quickly pulling the invisibility cloak over the both of them.

She laughed and raised her glass in acknowledgement before taking a drink. It really was quite good. She vowed to remember this moment the next time she got cross with Harry.

The rest of the trip back to Gryffindor was uneventful save for a few chuckles as she finished her drink or stumbled over Harry's feet. As she saw the Fat Lady come into view Hermione's heart sank a bit as she realized play time was over and their problems hadn't magically disappeared. At the very least, however, she and Harry were once again on the same page.

Harry took the now empty glass from her hand and pulled off the cloak, drawing a surprised shriek from The Fat Lady.

"I expect it from this one but not you, Miss Granger," the Fat Lady said, disappointment clear on her face.

"It's her night off," Harry replied defiantly as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder in support. Despite herself she snorted in amusement at the act of solidarity.

"It's my night off," she repeated, nodding in agreement, drawing a laugh from Harry. The knowing smirk the Fat Lady wore as Harry provided the password did nothing to dampen Hermione's mood.

As she approached the steps to her room she turned and lurched at Harry, wrapping him in a hug. "Thank you, Harry, for a wonderful night. It was exactly what I needed."

"Me too," he replied, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Me too."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Hermione bounded down the stairs quickly, anxious to hear Harry's news about Draco and knowing time was limited given how early they were leaving to go home for the holiday break. She was thankful that her head was relatively clear and pain free despite the lovely fruity drinks she had consumed the prior night.

Harry had already arrived and was sitting with Ron in a corner, huddled over in discussion. She ignored the mild discomfort caused by having to deal with Ron and quickly made her way over.

"Good morning" Harry replied with an easy smile as she took the empty seat next to Ron, purposely making sure to avoid any contact.

"We should get started before Lav comes down," Ron replied, casting a sidelong glance her way. She kept her eyes focused on Harry and successfully fought the urge to roll her eyes

Over the next few minutes Harry explained everything he had overheard. Draco's mission...Snape's Unbreakable Vow...all of it. As she absorbed the words and thought back to how troubled Draco looked everything became undeniably more real.

"Malfoy is definitely up to something but do you really think he is a real threat?" Ron chimed in. "I mean, I hate Snape too and an Unbreakable Vow is serious business but he could have been lying about wanting to help. You know...to find out what Malfoy is up to."

It was clear that Harry was fighting his worst instincts and holding back an angry retort. Instead he looked at her. "What do you think, Hermione?"

While she initially had the same thoughts as Ron she forced herself to think it through."Draco really did look awful...something was clearly troubling him." Harry gave a satisfied nod of confirmation.

"But-"

"Come on," Harry interrupted. "Why does no-one believe me?"

"_But…_" she began again in as soft a tone as she could manage, lightly punching Harry on the arm for interrupting her, "Dumbledore would want Snape to lie to find out what Draco is up too."

Harry opened his mouth to respond but she beat him to the punch. "I'm not done yet," Hermione playfully scolded, purposely keeping her tone as light as possible. She and Harry had made way too much progress over the last few days to ruin it by snapping at each other.

"You can't get out of an Unbreakable Vow...which means whether he wants to or not Snape would have to finish Draco's mission if he fails."

"Like I said, he could have been lying about that too," Ron countered.

"Snape said he made the vow with Malfoy's mother," Harry hissed, "Malfoy would know if Snape was lying."

"But-"

"Harry's right," Hermione realized, saying it out loud for both to hear. "Professor Snape mentioned that Draco had been around Bellatrix as well so it's clear that they were all together over the summer. Draco could easily find out if Professor Snape is lying...he would just need to ask his mother."

Ron looked gobsmacked. "So now you've suddenly decided to agree with Harry?" he replied, looking as if he had been personally betrayed.

"Harry quite often chooses not to be a dunderhead," she replied, "you should try it sometime."

"Oh _ha ha_," Ron countered, smiling slightly. Hermione smiled as well, grateful that some of the tension between them had subsided, if only temporarily.

Harry rolled his eyes and trudged on. "So that means, even if Draco is the harmless fraud you think he is, Snape has vowed to finish whatever he is trying to do. If he doesn't than he will- What actually happens if you break an Unbreakable Vow?"

"You die," Hemione muttered gravely.

'So if Snape fails it's a win, win for us. We foil the plan and Snape kicks the bucket," Ron joked.

Hermione slapped him on the shoulder. "That is a horrible thing to say," she exclaimed, forcing down the smile that stubbornly wanted to break through. It looked as if Harry found the joke highly amusing.

"I mean...he's not wrong," he supplied, playfully ducking away from Hermione's half hearted attempt at smacking his shoulder.

"Two dunderheads,"' she muttered before allowing herself a smile as well. She supposed they were allowed a bit of gallows humor with everything they'd gone through.

The moment of levity was broken by a throat clearing loudly behind her. She turned to see Lavender staring at them in annoyance, impatiently waiting for their conversation to end.

"Gotta go," Ron spoke as he stood to leave. "Have a good holiday, Hermione."

"You too," she replied absently. She was so proud of the turnaround she had made in the last few days. Ron was still an inconsiderate berk but at least they were once again being civil with each other...sort of.

As she watched Ron walk away a seventh year Prefect tapped her on the shoulder. "McGonagall said you're next up for the floo. You need to head to her office."

She stood and grabbed her bag, excited for the holiday break and the chance to see her parents once again. "Have a good holiday, Harry," she exclaimed as she began to leave.

"Wait," Harry said from behind her. She turned to see him now standing as well, looking very conflicted. He quickly pulled something out of his bag.

"I want you to take this," he blurted as he held the book out for her to take. It was _the_ book. The Half Blood Prince's book. She immediately tensed.

"I finally get to chuck it?" she asked hopefully.

"No!" he blurted loudly before calming himself. "I want you to give it a fair chance and read through it over the break. If you still have concerns we can talk about it when we come back."

She was taken aback by Harry's request. It appeared what he had said last night weren't just words...he really was willing to hear her out. Countless condescending and cutting remarks went through her head but she settled on offering a bit of affectionate teasing.

"Are you sure you want to do this Harry? Being away from loved ones during the holidays can sometimes be hard."

He smiled and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "I'll do my best to manage...just promise me you'll bring my baby back in one piece."

She returned the smile as she quickly grabbed the book and placed it in her bag. She had felt so unmoored for so long...having everything seemingly set back to rights with Harry was the perfect way to leave for the break.

She quickly pulled him into a hug. "Happy Christmas, Harry," she said warmly, nestling into his shoulder.

* * *

As her mother puttered around the kitchen Hermione sat at the table and stared at the book in front of her. She had been home for seven days...all the requisite visits and get togethers with relatives had taken place and Christmas and Boxing Day had passed. She was officially out of excuses for delaying the difficult discussion she needed to have with her parents and fulfilling her promise to Harry by giving the Prince's book a chance.

Postponing the conversation with her parents made sense...there was no need to ruin their Christmas with what she needed to tell them. But the book? That was a bit harder to justify. As much as she told herself her reluctance was based on her worry that it was insidious as she feared she knew the reality of the situation. She knew her reluctance was based on the fact that she could be wrong. She hated being wrong.

"Hermione," her mother chimed in pleasantly. "Could you?"

She looked up to see her mother gesturing at the dirty dishes on the counter and smiled. Beyond all the presents she had received and the loved ones she had visited the absolute best part of the break was getting to do magic in front of her parents. They had waited six years to see her in action and they joyously soaked in every spell performed, no matter how mundane.

She pulled out her wand and flicked it toward the sink. Her mother gave a celebratory clap as the water sprung to life and the dishes began floating toward the now levitating scrub brush, anxiously awaiting their arrival.

"Oh come on," her mother said after a few moments, "you can do better than that. Make them do the thing," she ordered impatiently.

Hermione rolled her eyes and gave another flick, causing the dishes to begin marching in rhythmic unison toward their date with the brush. The brush began bobbing back and forth as well, synchronized perfectly with their march.

"Much better," her mother replied happily as she took a seat at the table. "Now, would you like to tell me what's bothering you?"

"What?" Hermione replied, doing her best to sound casual.

"You've been staring at that book for the last fifteen minutes. The only time you are this quiet is when you are reading a book...not staring at one."

She was saved from answering as her father entered the room. "Look at them go," he stated, admiring Hermione's spell work. He grabbed a bottle of beer and an empty glass and took a seat as well before looking her way.

"Go on then," he said, grinning in anticipation.

Hermione rolled her eyes once again before magically opening the bottle and beginning to pour its contents into the glass.

"Not too much foam...that's it," he encouraged as she slightly tilted the glass.

"You've had me do this a dozen times in the last week, Dad. I think I've got the procedure down."

"Practice makes perfect. That's our Hermione…" her father stated happily before taking a drink. "Delicious."

Hermione chuckled to herself and realized this was the perfect time to have the necessary talk with her parents. It would undoubtedly spoil the happy mood but it needed to be done. It was too important and it needed to be done. She quickly began before she lost her nerve.

"I need to talk to you about some other spells I'd like to do before I return to Hogwarts...protection spells on the house."

Her parents looked at each other warily before her mother spoke. "Like a burglar alarm?"

"No," she replied, "not for mug- non magical people. It's an alarm that will alert you if someone besides me performs any magic here."

"Why would someone else be performing magic here and why would that require an alarm, Hermione?" her father asked, his good mood now well and truly gone.

She stared down at the book and took a breath. Now for the hard part. "I haven't been completely honest with you...about the seriousness of what has been happening in the wizarding world."

"I knew it!" her mother exclaimed angrily as she leapt from her chair and started to pace. "I told you, David. I told you she was keeping things from us."

"Now Jane," her father said calmly, "let's hear her out." Her father's ability to stay calm and rational had always infuriated Hermione when she was younger and had been upset about something. Now she was eternally grateful for it.

"Don't you _'now Jane_' me. How many times have we asked her if something was wrong? How many times?" As she folded her arms and glared at her father and then at her, Hermione was once again keenly aware how similar she was to her mother.

"That scar you came home with last year. It had nothing to do with a potions accident, did it," her mother angrily continued.

"Please, Mum," she pleaded. "I'll tell you everything, I promise. Just please...have a seat."

Over the next few hours she did exactly that. She told them everything. Everything Harry had gone through...how Voldemort had been resurrected...how she had been injured...how Muggleborns would be in mortal danger if Voldemort succeeded and that she would be first on his hit list given her close relationship to Harry. As she shared more and more she watched her mother's anger slowly morph into fear and resignation.

"Why are you finally telling us this now?" her father asked.

Before she could speak her mother supplied the answer. "Because she's seventeen and considered an adult by them now. We couldn't stop her from going back even if we wanted to. Is that right?"

Hermione nodded sadly in confirmation.

"We could all leave," her father offered hopefully. "Move to America...or Australia. It would take a few months to sort out the practice and sell the house but-"

"I think that is an excellent idea for you two but I'm staying," she replied.

"Hermione," her mother pleaded. "If it is as bad as you say it is you could die. Please...you've always been so sensible. We should talk about this."

She felt the tears slowly start to fall. "Harry needs me and I can't abandon him. I won't abandon him."

"It isn't your duty to protect him, dear," her father offered as he handed her his handkerchief. "From how you've described him I think he would prefer it if you were safe."

She gave a throaty chuckle. "Harry would personally escort me to the airport to make sure I got on the plane. That's why I have to stay. He would _never_ turn tail and run. Never. I have to do the same for him."

They sat in silence for several minutes as they all adjusted to their new wretched 'normal'. Hermione was sure they would have many more conversations over the next few days but at the very least the hardest part was over...the bandage had been well and truly ripped off. The heaviness that had weighed on her conscience over the last few years as she lied to her parents now felt slightly lighter.

"We still need to go over the spells I'm going to cast and what you need to do if-"

"Tomorrow, Hermione. We can talk about that tomorrow," her Mother replied wearily as she stood and began to leave the room. "I can't think straight right now."

After a few minutes her father quietly stood and grabbed another beer before sitting back down. "Go on then," he softly replied, "mind the foam."

Her father's kindness burst open the dam she had fervently held back and tears began to fall in earnest. "I'm so sorry, Dad" she choked out.

Her father gently pulled her up and wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay Janey," he murmured, "we'll sort it out."

"You need to convince Mum to leave," she mumbled through her sobs.

"I don't think we'll be doing that," he replied as he held her closer. "Our Janey would never turn tail and run. We'll do the same for her."

* * *

She was due to return back to Hogwarts in two days and she still hadn't reviewed the Prince's book as the past week had been spent with her parents adjusting to their new normal. The new normal was a bit more resigned...a bit more serious...but they were all on the same page and were now truly in it together...whether she wanted them to be or not.

Before she could change her mind she sat down at her desk and opened the book, quickly turning past the pompous 'Property of The Half Blood Prince' page.

Despite herself she found herself enthralled by the Prince's comments and ideas on potions after a mere few pages. She'd barely made it through one chapter before realizing she'd be apologizing to Harry. The Prince may have been an aspiring dark lord but one thing was clear, the man knew his potions. She had convinced herself the notes were simply about what to do but she now realized they focused much more on the how and why...loads more than their actual Potions classes had ever managed.

"In for a penny, in for a pound," she muttered to herself as she turned back to the beginning of the chapter, pulled out a quill and blank parchment, and started taking notes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The minutes seemed to crawl by at a snail's pace as Hermione waited for Harry's return to Hogwarts. It took all of her willpower to not curse when Professor McGonagall had informed her that Harry wasn't due to return until a full three hours after her arrival. McGonagall had given her a note from Dumbledore for Harry but that was secondary in her mind. A brief visit to Hagrid's hut had been a nice diversion but the task at hand was never truly forgotten.

She wanted to get through Harry's 'I told you so's' regarding the Half Blood Prince as quickly and painlessly as possible. Given how smug and dismissive she had been all year she was not expecting to come out of the encounter unscathed. At least it was Harry, she mused. If it had been Ron she was sure the gloating remarks would be frequent and never-ending.

Fifteen minutes after Harry's scheduled return she heard Ron loudly arguing with the Fat Lady on the the other side of the portrait and quickly opened the door, revealing an annoyed Ron and a slightly bemused Harry and Ginny. It appeared their impatience at not gaining entry to Gryffindor had been mitigated by listening to Ron go at it with the portrait.

"Don't mind her," Hermione said as casually as she could muster, "she went on a bit of a bender over the break and is still out of sorts."

"Who told you that?" the portrait responded before wincing and grabbing her head in pain due to her own loud outburst. She quickly recovered and continued on. "That is a scurrilous lie, and even if it were true I would never let it affect my sworn duty to Hog-"

"Abstinence," Hermione interjected forcefully, not wanting to engage again with the angry woman. "The new password is Abstinence."

"Good to know," Ginny responded pleasantly, shooting a grin at Harry before pushing past Ron and entering the common room. "I suppose I should find Dean," she continued as her grin faded slightly, waving them goodbye. Hermione glanced at Harry and saw that he now wore a small grin rivaling Ginny's prior expression. It was clear he had also picked up on Ginny's severe lack of excitement about seeing her boyfriend.

The grin was fleeting as he quickly looked her way. "Hi, Hermione. Good holiday?" he asked. It appeared he was as nervous as she was to talk about the legitimacy of the Half Blood Prince.

"It was fine," she replied, quickly forging onward before she lost her nerve. "Can we talk about-"

"Won-Won!" came an impassioned voice from behind as she felt herself being politely pushed to the side. She watched as Lavender latched onto Ron for several seconds before stepping back to look at him. As Lavender took in the sight of her boyfriend her smile disappeared as quickly as it came, morphing to one of confusion. "Why aren't you wearing my gift?"

"See you later," Ron muttered before quickly grabbing Lavender's hand and pulling her away.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked.

She turned back to see Harry now sporting a grin from ear to ear. "I promised him I wouldn't give any specifics but do you remember that perfume he bought you?"

Hermione nodded, failing to hide her disgust as she instantly and viscerally recalled the horrid smell she suspected could counteract the strongest of love potions.

"Imagine if there were a matching necklace to go along with that perfume and you have a pretty good idea of Lavender's gift."

She couldn't help herself and barked out a laugh so loud that Ron turned and shot Harry a dirty look.

"Now you've ruined it," Harry mumbled insincerely as he attempted to hide his grin from Ron and began pulling her to the opposite corner of the room.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed as she covered her mouth. It dawned on her that perhaps Ron and Lavender truly did deserve each other. "Thank you for your gift by the way," she continued as she gathered herself and took a seat.

"I know a voucher for Flourish and Blotts isn't very original but every time we go there's always two or three things you want to buy but don't and I thought-"

"I mean it, Harry. It was very thoughtful...much better than that perfume."

"That's a very low bar," Harry joked, clearly relieved his gift had gone over well. "And thanks for the gloves...I didn't expect to get Quidditch gear from you."

"Statistics show that Seekers are more likely to sustain injuries to their hands and it looked like you'd outgrown your old pair," she supplied nervously.

"You noticed that?" he asked, clearly impressed. "I didn't realize you paid that close of attention to Quidditch matches."

"I pay close attention to _you _at Quidditch matches _,_" she quickly responded before realizing how such a statement could be interpreted. "I mean...one of us has to look out for your safety out there and you clearly don't care."

Her stomach twitched as Harry smiled and nervously ran a hand through his hair. Shit. She had done so well the last few years of ridding herself of that nonsense and forced herself to refocus on more important matters.

She quickly pulled the Headmaster's note out of her pocket and handed it to Harry. "Professor McGonagall asked me to give you this."

"Looks like I have another history lesson with Dumbledore tomorrow night," Harry mumbled after reading and quickly stowing away the note. "So…" he continued, nervousness evident in his voice, "did you get a chance to to look at the book?"

Hermione nodded before swiftly pulling out the book and handing it back to Harry. She then fixedly stared at the table and started blurting out the words as quickly as possible.

"I was wrong," she spit out. "It's honestly fascinating...I should have heard you out and given it a chance before being so dismissive. I'm sorry."

Her eyes never left the table but she knew she was simply delaying the inevitable. Harry had earned the right to show off the smug grin she was positive he now sported. She looked up and realized she was wrong yet again. Harry's gobsmacked expression rivaled the one he had sported after his name came out of the Goblet of Fire.

"Wow," he eventually replied, "I'm not sure what I expected but it wasn't that. Thanks. And I meant what I said last term...you can use it any time you'd like."

"That won't be necessary," she mumbled, her eyes once again returning to the desk as she pulled out two stacks of parchment and silently rejoiced at Harry's maturity. She should have known Harry wouldn't preen about being right...he was much more concerned about them getting along. She quickly forged ahead.

"I spent the last few days of the break transcribing all of the Prince's notes and added a few indexing charms to make it easier to quickly look up specific topics. Preparation advice, potion types, safety measures, general tips...that sort of thing."

She slid one of the stacks across the table and and continued. "I made a copy for you as well."

"This looks like my handwriting," Harry replied in confusion.

"I came across a spell over the summer that can mimic someone's penmanship. I thought it would make it a bit easier for you to read if they were in your own handwriting."

"That's really cool," he replied. "The things you know...it's amazing, Hermione."

"Books and cleverness," she joked as she nudged Harry's foot under the table, her stomach twitching once again at Harry's warm smile. She ignored it.

She quickly pushed the other stack of parchment across the table. "I made a copy for Ron as well...you can give it to him. Tell him that if he makes any comments about me being wrong about the book I can make the ink on his copy vanish whenever I want."

"His copy has your handwriting," Harry observed.

"Only non-dunderheads get the special penmanship spell," she replied as she pulled out another parchment. "Besides, he's borrowed my notes so often over the years he can probably read my handwriting better than his own."

Harry barked out a laugh, drawing another curious glance from Ron.

"We need to talk about the spells though, Harry," she trudged on.

Annoyance briefly flared on Harry's face before he forcefully calmed himself and nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Go on," he replied.

"I haven't changed my opinion on the spells. Promise me you won't try anymore before we test them out together...on practice dummies or something. Based on a few of the notes some are at best mean spirited and at worst dangerous."

"That's fair," Harry replied as he nodded in resignation. We could use the Room of Requirement...maybe classify them based on the danger level or something."

Hermione purposely cleared her throat and pushed the new parchment forward. "I took the liberty of setting up a schedule. I came up with twenty spells in the book that I had never heard of and I thought we could cover them all over the next few weeks. We could start with the ones that sounded the most useful and save the more severe sounding ones for last. I've gone ahead and ranked them based on a few-"

She stopped abruptly as she noticed Harry smirking as he listened on. "Something funny, Harry?"

"Sorry," he replied abruptly as he schooled his features. "It's just...I should have known you would have already thought of that."

She stubbornly fought back the smile threatening to break out on her own face. "Anyway, since you're meeting with the Headmaster tomorrow maybe we could start Tuesday night. You can invite Ron as well if you'd like but tell him if he makes any stupid remarks he'll be my practice dummy for the spell testing."

"Will do," he answered, "looks like Lavender might beat you to it though."

She looked over at the pair and to her surprise felt a bit of sympathy for Ron. Before the holiday break she would have been reveling in Ron's misfortune. Now, any feelings toward Ron, whether positive or negative, seemed to be muted...overshadowed and thrust to the background thanks to her new normal. She was broken out of her musings by Harry.

"How long did it take you to do all this?" Harry asked as he scanned the parchments she had provided.

"Just a couple of days, actually," she replied. "It was actually a good distraction," she continued, "I finally told my parents everything that has happened to me at Hogwarts and about what's happening now. I kept trying to convince them to leave England for their own safety and they kept trying to convince me to go with them. After a few days of talking everything out I was desperate for something else to focus on. And the book really is quite fascinating."

Harry pretended to review her notes for a few moments before speaking.

"It's not a bad idea actually," Harry tentatively replied, "you being safe and away from all this nonsense would-"

"Shut up, Harry," Hermione interrupted as she leaned over and flicked him on the forehead.

"That hurt, Hermione!" Harry exclaimed as he rubbed his forehead and smiled despite himself.

"If you stop saying stupid things you won't get flicked. It's that simple."

The sat in silence for several minutes as Harry stared fixedly at the notes. "I'm really sorry about you and your parents. It's not fair…"

She nudged his foot under the table once again so he would look at her. "I'll tell you what I told them," she continued, laying her hand on his. "I have no intention of running. You'd never do such a thing and neither will I."

"Thanks," Harry mumbled as he gathered himself and quickly picked up the parchment stacks and placed them in his bag.

"Anyway," Harry eventually continued, "now that that's sorted I talked to Mr. Weasley and Lupin over the break about what Snape and Malfoy are up to. Oh, I also kind of told off the Minister of Magic…"

* * *

The walk to breakfast the next morning was surprisingly quiet and Ron free. Harry had not shared in her enthusiasm for the Apparition lesson notice that had been posted in the common room and had remained relatively silent as they made their way to the Great Hall. It was clear something had happened to dampen his mood after they departed for bed the night prior.

"Everything alright, Harry?" she asked tentatively, still a bit hesitant to push after Harry's defensiveness in the prior year.

Harry shook his head in disgust before speaking. "I gave Ron the notes you made for the Prince's book and told him how we were going to start testing out the spells together tomorrow and he…" Harry muttered before trailing off.

"He what, Harry?" she prompted.

"He reckons the reason you changed your mind about the book and have been nicer to me lately is just to annoy him...because of Lavender."

Her immediate instinct was to lash out angrily but bit back on the urge. If she was being honest with herself it wasn't an unreasonable conclusion based on how irrational she had been acting before the break. She took a breath.

"What did you say?" she asked hesitantly. Based on Harry's despondent expression she wasn't sure she would like the answer.

"I told him we sorted out our problems before the break and it had nothing to do with him. And that you were too stubborn to say your were wrong about something if you didn't believe it."

He was right...she would have been too prideful to admit she was wrong if she didn't mean it simply to keep the peace. That sounded like something Harry might do.

They walked in silence for several moments before she began speaking. "Did I tell you I was originally planning on asking Cormac to the party to annoy Ron?

"You're joking," Harry declared.

"If Cormac had said no I was going to ask Smith."

"That Hufflepuff git?" Harry replied in disbelief as he stopped walking and stared. "Are you insane?"

"I was," she confirmed, "temporarily at least. Then I came to my senses and asked you for reasons that had nothing to do with Ron, thank Merlin. You were right about the other part as well. I've been dreading having to eat crow about the book."

They resumed their walk to breakfast as Harry replied. "He kept mentioning what people have been saying about how we acted at Slughorn's party and how well we seemed to be getting on last night and wanted to know what we were doing. I told him we were trying not to be so stubborn and listening to each other. I suggested he try it some time and then he sort of stormed off to breakfast with Lavender."

"Poor Won-Won," she mused aloud, drawing a chuckle from Harry.

* * *

Whatever explanation Ron had provided for not wearing Lavender's gift must have worked because she was once again chirping happily at his every word by dinner the next night. Thankfully for her they had decided for some privacy at the end of the table, sparing her the majority of their nonsense.

As she watched Harry exiting the Great Hall for his meeting with the Headmaster Ginny leaned forward and spoke in a hush. She looked quite serious.

"What's going on with you and Harry?" she asked without pretense.

"Going on?" she asked confusedly. "Harry has a meeting with the Headmaster right now and I'm going to the lib-"

"That's not what I'm talking about, Hermione," Ginny interrupted, clearly annoyed. "After Slughorn's party and last night everyone thinks there is something going on between you two."

"Who is everyone?"

"Everyone with eyes and a brain?" Ginny countered. "I'm asking you so I can put the rumors to rest on your behalf."

Ginny was doing her best to act as casually as possible. Hermione knew better but bit back on commenting.

"Nothing's going on, Ginny. We're just on the same page and getting on well again...the best since fourth year, actually. And since neither of us have any desire to be in_ their _orbit we are spending more time together. That's it."

She thought about how respectful Harry had been with Ginny and Dean's relationship and realized Ginny wasn't returning the favor. A hint of annoyance flared.

"Honestly, there have been rumors about me and Harry for years and if we want to date it's no-one's business but ours."

"So you're saying you are interested in Harry?" Ginny asked, her calm facade cracking slightly.

"I'm saying it's none of your business," she concluded before turning back to her dinner.

As she finished her meal in silence she ignored the irritated redhead sitting across the table and her mind returned to the idea that had dominated her thoughts in third year...that she and Harry could possibly be more than just friends someday. She had eventually realized, thanks to Harry's obvious interest in Cho Chang and now Ginny, that such thoughts weren't realistic and at some point unconsciously pivoted toward Ron. Viktor had provided a nice, though shallow and short-lived, distraction as well. Thinking of Harry in that way was as pointless as her hope to one day see a unicorn when she was six. She was beginning to realize that thinking of Ron in that way was equally as pointless for entirely different reasons.

Magic may be able to make unicorns a reality...but love? Any feelings of romantic love created by magic were a cheap parlor trick...a pale, temporary, and meaningless imitation. Harry's friendship was infinitely more important than something that wasn't real. Until recently she had started to take that friendship for granted...she wouldn't let it happen again.

Although she had briefly allowed the thought of romance with Harry to roam free in her consciousness once again it was time to return to reality. Her 'date' with Harry at Slughorn's party and their time spent together the night prior didn't help in keeping the thought at bay but she did her best to forcefully stow it back into its cage. _It's a shame_, she mused, _it is a lovely thought_.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

As Hermione waited for their first Potions class of the new term to begin she once again went over what Harry had shared from his meeting with the Headmaster the prior night. She, Harry and Ron stayed up until midnight discussing all of the revelations regarding Voldemort's childhood, Riddle's discussion with Slughorn, and Horcruxes...most especially Horcruxes. She felt like she hadn't slept a wink as she mentally tallied every reference book she would start with in her quest for more information on Horcruxes. She planned on writing an outline during lunch so she could start researching as quickly as possible..

She was broken out of her thoughts by an elbow from Harry. He gestured toward the front of the class and she saw Professor Slughorn staring at her.

"I'm sorry," she quickly recovered. "What was the question?"

"Golpalott's Third Law. I was hoping you could share it with the rest of the class?" he asked expectantly.

She quickly blurted out the answer and breathed a sigh of relief as the Professor began his recitation on the implicatins of the theory. As she listened she quietly wrote 'Thank you' on a scrap of parchment and slid it toward Harry. She realized it was the first pleasant exchange she'd had with Harry in Potions class all term.

When he smiled and nodded in acknowledgement her stomach twitched again. She immediately poured all of her focus back on the Professor's speech as a distraction.

Thankfully the assignment Slughorn had set had been the most complex task she had ever been assigned in the class, requiring all of her attention. She barely gave her stomach or Harry another thought as she began compiling the myriad ingredients in order to concoct the requested antidote. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when she heard a throat purposely clearing, drawing her attention. She looked up to see Professor Slughorn smiling at her.

"Time is up, Miss Granger," he offered with a pleasant smile. She filled a vial with her potion and anxiously awaited the verdict. There were a few more items she had wanted to add but unfortunately had run out of time.

He waved his wand over the potion and studied the results. "I see you've been quite busy," he responded pleasantly. "It certainly looks like you identified the poison correctly but I think you've gone a bit overboard with the antidote. How many ingredients have you used?"

"Fifty two," she answered hesitantly.

"Hmmm…" he hummed in consideration, "I'm afraid you've overthought it. While I believe the antidote would work you've added several unnecessary or superfluous ingredients that would dilute or offset the effect you are going for. You've also missed a few basic antidote ingredients that could have helped with the potency."

"Very well done though, Miss Granger," he stated pleasantly, "this is by far the best effort so far," he concluded as he peered in disappointment at the rest of the class before brightening once again.

"Let us see what Mr. Potter has to offer!" he continued. Harry looked like he wanted to flee the room.

Slughorn hummed in consideration once again as he studied Harry's effort, his expression dimming a bit as the seconds ticked on. "While you've included all the basic antidote items it appears you've missed the more unique items that could have helped with this specific poison. Did you have trouble with the poison revealing spell?"

"I cast _Specialis Revelio _but wasn't sure what the results meant," Harry answered dejectedly, causing Hermione to feel a pang of sympathy. Last term Harry's failure would have been a moment of triumph for her. Now, the very thought of taking pleasure in Harry's humiliation turned her stomach.

"Ahh yes, it happens to the best of us," Slughorn commiserated.

"Remember this lesson, class!" he continued in a much louder voice, "no matter how skilled you are in potions preparation, if you don't begin the process with the proper facts your effort is doomed to be substandard." Harry winced at the word 'substandard.'

"And as much as a wide breadth of knowledge can be a strength it can just as easily turn into a weakness if you are distracted from remembering the basics. The simplest answers are many times the best and should not be overlooked for more exotic solutions," he concluded as he peered her way.

"I daresay if Mr. Potter and Miss Granger had worked on this assignment together they would have arrived at the perfect solution. Now let us see what Mr. Weasley has- Oh my. I'm not sure I've ever seen something that particular shade of gray before. And such an interesting consistency..."

As the class ended and she was gathering her things Harry leaned toward her and began speaking in a hush. "Go on ahead with Ron. I'm going to stay and ask Slughorn about the memory."

"You need to have a plan, Harry," Hermione muttered back.

"I figured I'd ask him for help on using _Specialis Revelio,_ Harry replied. "Hopefully he takes a bit of pity on me and then I can ask about Horcruxes."

It was a good a plan as any she thought. "Your potion wasn't _that bad_," Hermione assured. "The fact that he made a comment at all showed you were on the right track."

It was true. Only a few other students had received specific feedback with most only warranting disappointed, confused, or terrified expressions from Slughorn.

"I actually came up with an idea thanks to the Prince...using a bezoar. But it felt too much like a cheat."

Hermione nodded as she remembered the Prince's note on the topic. It was such a throwaway comment it had been one of the few things she hadn't bothered to include in her transcription.

She turned to see Ron standing by the doorway and realized they were the only students left in the classroom. She felt a tinge of discomfort as she realized that the walk to lunch would be the first time she and Ron would be alone since the bird incident.

"He apologized this morning," Harry muttered under his breath, "for thinking you weren't being sincere. He's going to join us tonight and promised not to be stupid."

She felt herself relax a bit as she realized avoiding Ron entirely was foolish and counterproductive. And as infuriating as he could be, she missed him.

"Good luck, Harry," she encouraged before turning to join Ron, "I'll see you later."

Her progress was stopped as Harry grabbed her elbow and gently rubbed something off her nose. She unconsiously looked at Harry's eyes and her stomach performed a somersault.

"You had a bit of soot," he stated in embarrassment. "See you," he mumbled before making his way to the front of the class.

"See you," she answered back quietly, all thoughts of poisons and antidotes forgotten, now consumed by soot, noses, gentle hands and green eyes. Where was she supposed to be going now? Lunch...that was it.

After informing Ron of Harry's plan with Slughorn the trek to lunch proceeded in awkward silence. As the doors to the Great Hall came into view Ron spoke.

"Harry said you'd come around on the Prince and gave me your notes. Thanks…"

"You're welcome," she replied simply. She wanted to add "I'm sorry about attacking you with canaries" but couldn't muster the courage.

"He also said we were going to start trying out the spells tonight...I was wondering if Lav could join us," he asked hesitantly.

Hermione immediately tensed. She was actually looking forward to the three of them spending time together and had no interest in being subjected to the couple's nonsense.

"Did you ask Harry?" she asked.

"He said it was okay with him but only if she took it seriously...like Dumbledore's Army...and we had to keep our hands to ourselves. And that I had to ask you."

She stopped walking and considered his request. Being honest and considerate with Harry had worked and Ron deserved the same treatment. They were a team.

She took a deep breath and began speaking quietly. "Part of the reason I wanted to do this was so we could get back to where we were...the three of us. I want to stop fighting and I want to help Harry. I want _us _to help Harry.

"So that's a 'no' then," Ron asked.

It was time to start making up for the canaries.

"No. If you think Lavender can follow Harry's rules and you want her there she's welcome to come."

"Thank you," he answered, clearly relieved. "I'm not sure if she'll even want to join us but if I didn't ask she'd be furious."

"Why wouldn't she want to join us?" Hermione asked in confusion as she began walking once again. The girl seemed obsessed with spending as much time as she possibly could in Ron's presence.

"It's you...and Harry...the three of us together. I think it intimidates her. She's a lot different when you lot aren't around."

"I'll take your word for it," she said as she pushed the doors to the Great Hall open. She watched Lavender instantly frown when she spotted them walking in together.

"Wish I'd been there when you admitted you were wrong," he continued easily, apparently oblivious to his girlfriend's discomfort. There was no arrogance or harshness in his tone...only amusement.

"I've been known to be reasonable from time to time, Ronald," she replied, falling back easily into their normal banter. It felt like a lifetime since their teasing hadn't been mean spirited. She missed it.

"Oh, I know that," he answered, "it's just...you were actually wrong about something and Harry and I were right. What are the chances that will ever happen again?"

"The exception proves the rule," she teased as they parted ways.

She took a seat next to Parvati and quickly began working on her Horcrux research strategy. She wanted to get as much mapped out as possible before Harry arrived and they discussed his conversation with the Potions professor. If all went well with Slughorn her plans to research Horcruxes would be unnecessary.

* * *

Unfortunately Harry's meeting with Slughorn had not gone well, at all, and three weeks later they were still no closer to knowing anything additional beyond the name. The weekly sessions to test out the Prince's spells had been a nice distraction and had done a wonderful job of establishing some normalcy between the foursome...Ron and Lavender even joined them occasionally for meals and her Prefect rounds with Ron were relatively pleasant as well, But as the days passed and nothing new could be found on Horcruxes the stress was starting to grow.

She let out a groan as she closed the third and final book she had ordered from Flourish and Blotts using Harry's Christmas present, once again coming up empty. She had specifically chosen the three books considered the 'darkest' that the bookstore chose to carry in hopes of finding something.

As she grabbed the first book once again to re-review for something she may have missed it was abruptly pulled from her hand by Harry.

"No more research and no more studying tonight," he declared authoritatively. "It's Friday and I think we are due for another night off."

She made to protest but stopped herself. She had felt herself sliding into bad habits and attitudes over the last week due to their lack of progress and realized this was the perfect opportunity to nip it in the bud.

"I don't see a dance floor or fruity drinks anywhere, Harry. What are you proposing?" she asked.

She watched Harry scan the room for options.

"Game of chess?"

"Next."

"Trip to the kitchen?"

"I'm a Prefect and it's almost curfew. What else."

"Sit on that couch, stare at the fire and talk about anything besides Voldemort, Malfoy or Horcruxes."

"That sounds perfect," she answered with a sigh as she began to gather her things and make her way over to the couch. As she went to sit a ginger blur seemingly appeared from nowhere and took her preferred seat.

"Crooks!" she admonished as she reached down to move her companion.

"He's fine," Harry interrupted as he slid over a bit. "There's plenty of room."

Crookshanks mewled in agreement before curling up in a ball and closing his eyes. She was sure it was her imagination but the cat seemed to be purposely taking up more room than usual.

As she took the seat next to Harry she felt his arm drape across the back of the couch and desperately fought the urge to lean into his side and rest her head in the small of his shoulder where she knew it fit perfectly. It was so close. She settled for laying her head back against his arm and closing her eyes. It was nice...it was enough.

"Well go on then...talk" Hermione playfully commanded after several minutes of contented silence.

"There is one thing I've been wanting to ask you about," Harry began, "about your parents."

"We are _not_ talking about me leaving again, Harry."

"It's not that," he quickly ploughed on, "I'd just like to know more about them...about your life outside of Hogwarts. After we talked about them leaving I realized I've never asked you about your family. It seems like all we do is talk about me and my problems. I don't even know their first names."

She was about to protest...to say that it was unimportant...that she focused so much time and energy on him and less on herself out of necessity and that he would do the same if their situations were reversed. But then she realized this was their night off.

"It's stupid," Harry finally blurted out to break the uncomfortable silence, "just forget I-"

"My Dad's name is David," she interrupted. "David Sinclair Granger. He hates his middle name...says it makes him sound like a pompous ass. Mum likes to call him Sinclair whenever he gets a bit full of himself. It never fails to set him off.

She felt Harry chuckle in amusement and continued.

"Mum's name is Jane Elizabeth-"

"Your middle name is from your mum...just like my Dad and me," Harry interjected, pleased at the synergy.

"When they were dating Dad tried calling her 'Janey' a few times and she hated it...so when I was born 'Janey' became my nickname. He said it was revenge for Mum spoiling his fun."

"Janey," Harry repeated in consideration, "I think it suits you."

"_My father_ calls me Janey...no-one else," she stated matter of factly.

"Can I call you Sinclair?" Harry replied. He seemed very pleased with his joke.

"Hermione," she deadpanned. "You can call me Hermione."

Crookshanks apparently had grown tired of his seat and jumped into her lap. Despite the extra room now available she did not move away from Harry...instead she allowed herself to settle into his side just a bit. It was nice. Familiar.

"Did they meet at Uni?" Harry asked.

"Everyone thinks that because they're both dentists but no. They met at some dental conference years later. They struck up a conversation at the hotel bar the night before the conference and that was it for the both of them. According to Dad they skived off the conference and spent the entire week with each other instead but Mum says he's exaggerating. She's usually like me...responsible. I think she just doesn't want me thinking she let loose and shagged Dad the first night they met."

"That does sound like you," Harry interjected.

"Are you saying I'm a slag, Harry?" Hermione teased.

"Of course not," he protested. "It's just...you have this reputation as always following the rules but it's ridiculous."

"This is supposed to be making me feel better?"

"Let me finish," Harry continued as he squeezed her shoulder, pulling her in even closer. When had his hand moved off the back of the couch and on to her shoulder? She didnt resist.

"You always ignore the rules if you think it's stupid or the person enforcing the rule is wrong. And if there is something you care about you will always choose that over some rule. I could see you skipping some boring meetings for someone or something you were passionate about."

"You're exaggerating," she replied defiantly.

"First year. You set a teacher on fire."

"To save you!"

"Second year. Polyjuice," he stated simply.

"That doesn't count. It was important!"

"Third year. Time turner," he continued.

"That was sanctioned by the school," she protested once again.

"Dumbledore's Army?" he shot back, clearly enjoying having so many examples.

"We weren't learning anything!" she replied good naturedly, knowing her arguments were futile.

A few seconds passed before Harry responded, now in a much quieter voice.

"You left school grounds, on a creature that you couldn't see, and broke into the Ministry."

"That wasn't just me though...Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny...we all came to help you."

"But no-one, except maybe Neville, accuses any of them of never breaking rules. And you were the only one that was positive it was a trap. You knew it was a trap and did it anyway...for me. You broke so many rules that night."

"Fine, you win. I do irrational things for the people I care about," she said in defeat.

"Glad we got that sorted," Harry replied triumphantly. "Next question. What was your first bout of accidental magic?"

Thirty minutes later Harry was recalling the time he turned one of his teacher's hair blue. She'd never heard that story and smiled to herself as he told the tale. She stared into the fire and felt Crookshanks' contented purring under her hand. Eventually she succumbed to the insistent urge and rested her head in the small of Harry's shoulder. As she suspected she fit perfectly. Hermione wondered if this was what her mother experienced in that hotel bar twenty years ago.

For the rest of the evening she didn't think about Voldemort...or Malfoy...or Horcruxes. She didn't worry if people were watching. She didn't care if she was setting herself up for heartbreak down the line. It was her night off.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The implications of Harry and Hermione's second night off were immediately evident. Harry's flock of admirers were now splitting their time surreptitiously looking at Harry and glaring at her. Romilda Vane seemed particularly enraged at her existence these days. And although their looks were more benign Hermione noticed that Ron and Ginny seemed much more observant of their activities as well. Even Crookshanks had gotten in on the act, opting to sit in Harry's lap or at his feet whenever possible. From what she could gather, Harry, as usual, was oblivious to it all. As annoying as the resurgence in attention was she wasn't really bothered. It was well worth it.

Unfortunately nothing new had been learned regarding Professor Slughorn or Horcruxes. And although she had noticed how pale and distraught Draco seemed to look at all times in the last few weeks no progress had been made on that front either…at least until their first Apparition lesson. The conversation Harry had overheard between Draco and his goons was one more piece of evidence that something was definitely going on.

"I knew they were up to something…just like I've been saying," Harry informed confidently as they exited the Great Hall. She listened as Ron and Harry discussed the conversation and considered whether to take Harry to task for shooting off his mouth at Draco. Ultimately she knew the internal debate was pointless…she had never been able to keep her opinions to herself and Harry needed to be smarter going forward.

"I wish you'd held your tongue, Harry," she admonished after they split apart from Ron. "You let him know you overheard them…that will just make him more cautious going forward."

It was clear her comment had slightly taken the wind out of his sails as he initially remained silent. It wasn't until they were headed to dinner that the subject was broached again.

"I reckon you were right earlier…about me spouting off to Malfoy." Harry mumbled.

"Just remember next time," she comforted, "Draco really is looking awful these days and I'm worried what he might do if he thinks he's been found out."

"Besides," she continued, "it's not like I've been the paragon for controlling one's emotions."

"You've been pretty good the last month," Harry replied, "or have you been setting animals on people behind my back?"

"Anyway," Hermione trudged forward, "did you have any luck with Apparition?"

"Not a lick," he shared, "I wasn't really trying if I'm honest…and after Sue splinched herself I was really put off."

She'd done her best over the last month to stress how crucial learning Apparition could be. At best Harry listened half heartedly to humor her and now his casual dismissal of the actual lesson struck a nerve…something that she'd accepted in the past but knew needed to be addressed.

Despite the fact that she'd just got done criticizing his actions she was about to jump into the breach once again. She hoped what she was about to say wouldn't muck up all the progress they had made over the last month…but she'd done her part in admitting her faults with the Prince and now it was Harry's turn.

"I have something to say," she began hesitantly. "I'm not saying it to nag…but I need you to listen."

"Go on," Harry prodded as he gave her a wary look.

"I know getting good marks isn't as important to you as it is to me and that is fine…but you need to try harder."

"I'm doing my best. You don't understand what it's like-" he sputtered in surprised defiance.

"You aren't," she shot back as calmly as possible. "I don't care if you don't pay attention in Astronomy and I understand if you aren't interested in Arithmancy or Ancient Runes…but there are things being taught every day here that could help save your life. Learning how to Apparate could save your life…it could help you save my life…and you are wasting time by slagging things off."

Harry was seething now… a powder keg ready to blow. Clearly her comments had been unexpected and had touched a nerve. If she had said something similar last year Harry would have shot back with a loud insult and most likely stormed away. This year's version remained stubbornly silent and looked straight ahead…waiting for her to continue.

"You are one of the best in our year at practical magic…but only when you want to be. Not finding something interesting or being worried about other things isn't a good enough excuse to not try anymore."

"Fine," he finally replied dismissively, "tonight I'll hunker down and make sure I get all the etchings just right when I transfigure my apple into a goblet."

"Stop it," she replied, doing her best to tamp down her own building anger. "You know that isn't the type of lesson I was talking about. Stop being stupid and exaggerating so you can avoid the point."

Hermione wondered if she had gone too far with her last comment as Harry refused to look at her or speak again. As the seconds ticked by and Harry remained silent her heart began to sink.

Just think about what I said," she pleaded softly as they entered the Great Hall.

She'd hoped he'd say something…anything…as they ate their dinner. But the best Harry offered were mumbled replies when other people would speak directly to him.

For the first time since third year she was the outcast amongst the trio in the common room that night. Thankfully this time was much different…this time she knew they would eventually work it out. The only question was whether Harry would take her message to heart.

As she reviewed the supplemental reference materials she had borrowed from the library regarding Apparition she occasionally stole glances at Ron and Harry as they played chess. Her one consolation was Harry didn't seem angry at all and he didn't shoot her any nasty looks…he merely seemed pensive. And based on Ron's seemingly normal behavior she guessed Harry hadn't even told him about their disagreement.

She watched as her kneazle ally trooped down the girls' dormitory stairs and immediately made his way to Harry, unceremoniously jumping into his lap. Harry let out a small 'whoop' of surprise at Crookshanks' arrival and began scratching his neck. He then looked her way and smiled awkwardly as he realized she was watching the scene.

Her hope that they would talk after the conclusion of the chess match was dashed as Harry quickly escaped to his dormitory after yet another defeat. For the first time that she could recall Crookshanks followed him dutifully up the steps.

The next day Harry had joined her for meals but had remained relatively silent or absent as Quidditch practice and homework filled the rest of his Sunday. After he'd disappeared up the steps to his room early that night Hermione lost the desire to study entirely, opting instead to return to their couch and stare at the fire. It wasn't the same without Harry there. Not nearly the same.

She was about to retire for the evening when Harry plopped down beside her with Crookshanks in hand. "I think your cat is stalking me," he joked, not appearing to be bothered in the slightest by his recent companion.

Crookshanks made a noise of protest before hopping over to her lap. "Now you've done it," she joked, "he'll never forget that comment."

"Nah," he commented casually as he reached over and scratched Crookshanks head, "he's just like Hedwig…their bark is worse than their bite."

They sat quietly for several minutes before Harry finally broke the silence.

"After what you said the other day I've been thinking about all the things my dad and his friends did in school outside of their normal lessons…becoming Animagi for Remus…the Marauders Map. Did I tell you they figured out a way to enchant mirrors so they could communicate with each other?"

She shook her head, fascinated and impressed once again by The Marauders ingenuity.

"Last year…at Christmas…Sirius gave me this wrapped up bundle and told me I could use it at Hogwarts if I ever needed to talk to him. I chucked it in my trunk and forgot about it."

He pulled out something from his pocket…a cloth being used as makeshift bag. He placed it in his lap and unwrapped it, revealing several pieces of a broken mirror.

"What happen-"

"It turned out he'd given me one of the communication mirrors they made so I could talk to him. I didn't really pay attention at the time…didn't read the note he'd given me explaining what it was…just threw it in my trunk and forgot about it."

He picked up a piece and carefully twirled it in his fingers, staring at it fixedly before continuing. "I found it again in my trunk when we were packing to leave at the end of term…after we went to the Ministry. I read the note then and realized I could have used this to check with Sirius. I got upset and threw it…that's why it's broken...another time I didn't think things through. If I had done what you said the other day…just paid a bit more attention…Sirius wouldn't have died."

"Harry, no-" she began before once again being interrupted.

"It's all right, Hermione…it's the truth," he stated as he wrapped up the pieces and once again stowed them away in his pocket.

"I'll try harder at Apparition…and if there is anything else you think I'm sloughing off that can help tell me."

She felt tears forming and quickly swiped them away knowing how uncomfortable Harry was when she became emotional. "Okay. Thank you," she replied throatily.

She wanted to say so much more at that moment…how much she admired him and couldn't fathom the things he had to deal with…but she didn't trust herself to get the words out without devolving into tears. She settled for leaning into his side and rubbing his arm.

"I think we should try and make something like these mirrors…for us. Would you help me?"

"Of course," she managed to get out before her emotions got the best of her. "Of course."

"I was going to call Kreacher tomorrow and see if he could look for the other mirror at Grimmauld…I reckon it could make it easier to sort out how to do it."

She thought it was a brilliant idea. "Let's call him now."

"I need to do it in private and it's past curfew," he supplied.

"That's never stopped us before," she answered determinedly, "go get your cloak and meet me back here in five minutes."

She knew it could wait and that it was a silly excuse to break curfew. But while Prefect Hermione would and should rightfully object, Janey easily won out. Spending time with and encouraging Harry more than justified the excursion in her opinion. Besides, they'd become quite adept at sneaking around the castle over the years…the chances at getting caught were slim to none...and the risk of losing house points seemed trivial at this point.

She quickly made it to her dormitory to drop off her things and found Harry waiting for her near the door when she returned. As they made to leave they were stopped by a familiar voice.

"Right, what's going on and why didn't you invite me?" Ron asked in a hush.

Hermione couldn't help from smiling.

"Nothing life threatening," Harry replied quietly, "I just need to call Kreacher so he can look for something at Grimmauld."

"Cool," Ron replied exuberantly, clearly excited about having a bit of an adventure, "what is it?"

Harry suddenly became apprehensive and Hermione realized he more than likely did not want to have to share his failure in judgment once again.

"Sirius told Harry about some mirrors the Marauders had enchanted when they were in school so they could communicate with each other. We're going to try to make something similar for us and Harry thought Kreacher might be able to find Sirius' mirror at Grimmauld."

"You convinced her to break curfew for that?" Ron replied disbelievingly.

"_She_ actually convinced _me_. I was going to wait until tomorrow morning," Harry beamed.

Ron let out a whoop of laughter before quieting himself. "Right, you lot don't get to do something foolish and irresponsible without me. Give me a minute," he commanded before quickly walking back to his girlfriend.

She watched as Ron whispered something to Lavender, presumably telling her why he was leaving for a bit. She expected an eruption from the girl but was met by the exact opposite as Lavender smiled and nodded her agreement before giving Ron a quick kiss.

Five minutes later the trio had made their way to a nearby abandoned classroom without incident. While Harry was busy placing a locking charm on the door, Hermione sought an answer to the riddle of Lavender Brown's reaction.

"What did you say to Lavender to convince her so easily?" she asked quietly.

"The truth, actually," he answered. "She knows we help out with _secret Harry things_ from time to time and understands why she isn't included. She only gets upset when she thinks I'm excluding her from the other bits."

"Suppose I've got you and Harry to thank, actually," Ron continued as Harry finished up his casting, "she's been loads more relaxed since we included her for the Prince's spells."

As Hermione thought back to the last few weeks she had realized she had been much less annoyed by Lavender's behavior. She had chalked it up it to her own maturity and development but now realized Lavender may have equaled her efforts over the last month.

"We ready?" Harry asked as he bounded back to them. "Kreacher!"

A few seconds later, the weary elf popped into the room, clearly dreading having to listen to Harry once again.

"What can Kreacher do for Master and the Mudblood?" the elf spit out.

"Hey!" Ron interjected, "don't forget the blood traitor!" Based on the elf's expression he did not find the joke humorous, his scowl deepening as he remained silent.

"Right. First thing…you aren't allowed to call Hermione or Ron those names anymore, even under your breath or when we're not around. It's Miss Granger and Mister Weasley. All the time."

"You don't have to do that, Harry," Hermione interrupted. As much as she despised the name she didn't feel comfortable forcing such meaningless behavior.

"Yes, I do," Harry replied assuredly, never taking his eyes off the elf. "Got it?"

"Of course, Master," Kreacher replied through clenched teeth.

"I need you to look for something that belonged to Sirius. A square mirror about this big," Harry explained while miming the approximate size with his hands. "I'm guessing he would have carried it around a lot last year."

"Kreacher believes he knows the mirror Master is looking for," the elf answered dejectedly, clearly upset that such news would please Harry.

"Great!" Harry exclaimed. "Go get it and come back."

The trio waited in silence for several minutes before Kreacher popped back in the room, somehow even sadder than before after successfully accomplishing his task. "Will there be anything else, Master?" Kreacher asked, venom dripping from his voice.

"One more thing, you aren't allowed to tell anyone about the mirror. In fact you aren't allowed to talk to anyone else, including portraits, about anything, without my permission. And you aren't to leave Grimmauld Place unless I call you or tell you to. Got it?"

Hermione couldn't help herself and interrupted. She pulled Harry closer and whispered in Harry's ear. "That's not fair to Kreacher," she pleaded. "Part of his problem is how isolated he's been over the years."

Harry considered her words for several seconds before continuing. "You can talk to the portraits but you can't share anything about me or anything we talk about or what I have you do. And if Walburga Black insults my friends or Sirius you are to stop talking to her immediately."

Kreacher nodded angrily after several seconds of consideration. It was clear that he had been trying, and failing, to determine a loophole in Harry's direction.

Harry glanced her way before continuing. "That's it, Kreacher. Thanks for your help. I'll call you if I need anything else."

Harry's graciousness seemed to throw off the elf slightly. Clearly it had been a long time since he had been thanked properly. The elf remained silent, merely bowing slightly before popping out of sight.

"Well, that was slightly boring compared to our normal adventures," Ron commented sadly after their uneventful return to the Gryffindor common room.

"You seem disappointed that we didn't have to run for our lives," Hermione countered.

"Ahh…the good old days," Ron said in reminiscence. "Talk to you later," he replied before making his way back to his expectant girlfriend.

Hermione quickly pulled Harry back to their couch which had remained empty save for Crookshanks. Her companion seemed to be have sprawled himself out as much as physically possible in an effort to prevent anyone else from sitting down. Upon spotting the pair the kneazle quickly moved to his corner and allowed them space to join him.

Harry quickly took a seat beside her, sporting a relieved grin. "Should have thought of that ages ago," he declared.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "We can start working on this tomorrow night after we finish our normal work. I can get up early and skip lunch to start my research. I think they may have used something similar to the Protean charm I used for the coins last-"

"No," Harry interrupted. "We should work on this together starting tomorrow night. We can talk about how we can split up the work then."

"I really don't mind. It's honestly fascin-"

She was stopped once again as Harry softly placed a hand over her mouth. "Tomorrow night, Hermione," he commanded gently.

"All right," she replied dumbly after Harry removed his hand, stunned by the intimacy of his act. Harry looked quite pleased with himself as he gazed at the fire.

After a few minutes of silence she gathered herself and made another attempt. "If you let me see the mirror ahead of time I could-"

"Tomorrow night," Harry repeated, never taking his eyes off the fire.

"Fine," she replied grudgingly before changing topics. "Thank you for listening to me about Kreacher."

He frowned and nodded in acknowledgement. "Dumbledore said part of the reason Kreacher betrayed Sirius last year was because of how he'd been treated. I reckon you both are right…but it's hard to forget what happened."

"I know," she commiserated as an idea sprung forth. "I met the Head of the Department for Control of Magical Creatures at Professor Slughorn's party and he was very nice."

"That bloke you wrote all those letters to? I'm surprised he didn't run screaming from the room."

"Some people appreciate passionate advocacy," she replied, lightly punching Harry in the side and drawing an amused wince.

"As I was saying," she continued, "would you mind if I asked him about how we should deal with Kreacher?"

Harry raised an eyebrow in concern and Hermione quickly answered the unspoken question. "I won't give any details…I'll just explain I have a friend who inherited a bigoted elf. I can ask for advice without giving any specifics."

"Sure," he agreed after considering the request for several moments.

She smiled her thanks but remained silent for the next few minutes as she considered whether to go to bed or stay with Harry for a bit longer. As if on cue Crookshanks jumped back in her lap, effectively making the choice for her. If she was honest with herself she would admit the choice had been obvious.

She leaned into Harry and laid her head on his shoulder. She felt his arm rise over her head and nuzzled into the small of his shoulder once again, never opening her eyes.

The muggle phrase 'Once is a mistake, twice is a pattern, three times is a habit,' sprang to mind as she relaxed further into Harry's side. It had been almost a month since instance number one and she was now on instance number two. She knew this could become a particularly difficult habit to break.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Hermione arose earlier than normal the next day but kept to her promise in delaying her mirror research until after they met as a group. Instead she used the time to pen a letter to Klaus Dagworth asking for his advice regarding Kreacher. Harry had offered Hedwig's services the night prior and the owl seemed particularly willing to help the next day when she called her down from the roost, giving her an overly affectionate nibble on the ear before taking flight. Hermione idly wondered what Crookshanks and Hedwig were up to.

The remainder of the day seemed to pass at an excruciatingly slow pace as she forced herself not to work on the mirror project beyond brainstorming topics for their planned discussion that night. It was very frustrating and Harry seemed to pick up on her irritation. He seemed to find it quite humorous.

Finally it was time to meet and she and Harry were ensconced in a corner of the Gryffindor common room, waiting on Ron's arrival.

"All right there, Hermione?" Harry asked in amusement after she had checked her watch for what felt like the millionth time. They had agreed to meet at 7:00 and it was now…she checked again…7:05. She idly wondered if Ron was purposely late to annoy her.

"Shut up, Harry," she replied, "if Dunderhead doesn't show up in the next few minutes I'm starting without him."

Harry nodded in agreement, smiling at her behavior. "I forgot to tell you, he asked if Lavender could join us and I said it was all right."

Her annoyance level rose at the news of the girl's inclusion. Unlike the Prince's spells this needed to be as secret as possible…and as well as they'd been getting on lately Hermione couldn't think of a thing the girl could possibly add to the discussion.

"Don't worry," Harry consoled as if he could read her thoughts, "I told Ron she will have to keep what we are doing confidential. Ron said he would have a word and I'll mention it when they get here."

Hermione nodded in thanks and tamped down the anxiety that was now growing in her consciousness. 'Be careful what you wish for,' she mused, realizing she was the one who had encouraged Harry to take a more active role in their projects. Losing even a bit of control over the trio's planning efforts had turned out to be much more maddening than she had anticipated.

"Here they come," Hermione advised as she spotted the couple entering the common room. Whatever Ron had said seemed to have worked as Lavender looked very nervous.

The pair quickly took seats and Harry discreetly cast _Muffliato_ before speaking.

"Right, we all know what we are here to work on but I just want to make it clear to everyone that this isn't like the spells we worked through. This needs to remain a secret between us four. Everyone agree?"

Hermione thought it was a nice touch by Harry to address the comment to the entire group even though it was really meant for Lavender. The girl was nervous enough already and directing his comments solely toward her would only have made it worse. Not for the first time she thought about what a natural leader Harry was…especially after getting some experience at it with Dumbledore's Army. He was so charismatic and genuine…you couldn't help but l-…want to follow him.

While she and Ron methodically nodded their agreement, Lavender looked a bit confused.

"Are we just promising? I thought we'd need to sign something like Dumbledore's Army?" Lavender questioned in surprised disbelief.

It wasn't a bad idea, Hermione mused. Maybe it would be good to write up something so there would be consequences…nothing as severe or permanent as the DA agreement…maybe-

Her thoughts were interrupted by Harry's quick reply. "That won't be necessary," he answered kindly. "We didn't know everyone who joined the DA well enough to trust them. We trust you to keep it a secret…isn't that right, Hermione?"

What had she done to herself? She hated not being in control. So much.

"Of course," she answered, doing her best to act perfectly fine with the decision. The surprised and pleased look on Lavender's face at Harry's words and her subsequent agreement went a long way toward easing her concern.

"Great," Harry continued, "Hermione, I'm guessing you have a few ideas already on what needs to be done?"

She heard Ron's muffled chuckle and reflexively shot him a glare as she pulled out her notes.

"In addition to examining the mirror we have I thought we should do some independent research. My guess is the magic they used is similar to the Protean charm used for the coins the last year so that will be a good place to start. I also think it would be helpful to look into the magic behind the Mirror of Erised as far as how images and sound can be projected-"

She was interrupted from continuing by, of all people, Ron. "Lav and I can look into the Mirror of Erised- oh don't look so shocked, Hermione. I've been known to look at a book willingly from time to time."

"Umm…okay," she mumbled in agreement. Apparently Harry had given a speech to Ron about trying harder as well. She remained silent for several seconds as she pondered this new, slightly bizarre reality.

Harry, apparently taking her prolonged silence as an indication that she was finished speaking, jumped in.

"I thought I'd write Lupin a letter asking about the mirrors and seeing if he had anything he could share."

"Professor Lupin?" Lavender asked. "What does he have to do with this?"

"He was one of my Dad's mates in school," Harry answered. "He was the organized one in Dad's group…I'm guessing he would have been the one most likely to have actually taken notes when they came up with their version.

How had she not thought of that? That could potentially save them loads of time. She quickly made a note of it on her planning parchment before moving onto her next topic.

"Okay, I think that gives everyone something to do for now," she continued. We can meet again in a few days and share what we've learned."

"Then we can switch research topics," Harry added. "Ron and Lavender can look at the Protean Charm books and you and I can look at their reference material for the Mirror of Erised…to make sure we don't overlook anything."

"It's okay, Harry, you can say it out loud," Ron joked. "Hermione should check our work to make sure we didn't miss anything."

"That too," Harry replied, smiling and nudging her foot under the table.

She noticed Lavender looking back and forth between the group, unclear whether they were really arguing or having a laugh.

"You know I was going to do that anyway," she replied easily, laying Lavender's confusion to rest before moving on to the next topic.

"We also need to decide what type of mirrors to use. I couldn't think of anything better than what Harry's Dad used but if anyone else has any ideas we can talk about it."

She was met with silence before Ron purposely cleared his throat and nudged Lavender on the arm. "Go on, it's brilliant," she heard him mutter encouragingly.

Lavender looked to be fighting the urge to sprint from the room, clearly worried that whatever idea she had shared with Ron would be laughed at by her and Harry. She slowly reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, square, plastic object and placed it on the table. It was less than half the size of Sirius' mirror.

Hermione was suddenly ecstatic that Lavender had joined the meeting. How had she not thought of that?

"That looks familiar," Harry commented, clearly intrigued by whatever the object was. "What is it?"

"Umm…it's a compact mirror. Muggle women use them to check their face and apply makeup when they're out and about," Lavender tentatively replied as she opened the clamshell device. "The top section has a mirror and the bottom has powdered makeup."

"That's it!" Harry replied in recognition. "My Aunt always carries one of those around!"

"I thought it would be more convenient to carry and easier to keep a secret than what your Dad used since it's smaller and can be closed up quickly," Lavender continued, still nervous but emboldened by Harry's excitement.

Hermione wanted to say something but remained silent, shocked at the simple yet elegant solution the girl had come up with. Apparently being so focused on one's appearance did have a practical use.

Lavender waited a few beats before continuing, clearly expecting Hermione to give her thoughts. At her continued silence the girl continued.

"Maybe…if you thought it was a good idea and had the time…you could take out the makeup part in the bottom section and enchant it to send messages instead…like the D.A. coins from last year. You know…for when the message wasn't as urgent or you needed to be more discreet."

"What do you think, Hermione?" Harry asked. Based on his excited expression his opinion was clear.

"Perfect," she answered honestly. "We should still try to think of other options over the next few days but I can't imagine coming up with something better."

Lavender beamed at her praise as Ron pulled her close. "Told you," he declared happily.

Having a front row seat to the couple's affection should have bothered her…would have bothered her a few weeks ago…now it seemed to have the opposite affect. She looked at Harry and his encouraging smile caused her stomach to stubbornly flip once again.

Everything had changed so much for her recently…had reverted back to what she knew her heart truly desired…that it was a bit overwhelming at times. She desperately wished the same had happened for Harry as well but she couldn't quite convince herself that such a thing was possible. The multiple years of friendly but platonic affection on Harry's part were too much to overcome despite his recent behavior.

"I can send a letter to Mum asking to send me three more," Lavender continued. "Ron suggested I could just say I showed a few pureblood girls mine and they wanted their own to use."

"Perfect," Hermione responded once again. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Lavender replied. "It's the least I can do after…it's the least I can do."

* * *

Breakfast the next day passed uneventfully as she, frustratingly, did not receive any owl post. She knew it had been wishful thinking to expect Mr. Dagworth to respond so quickly but was still disappointed when nothing had arrived.

She was busy packing up after a slightly mundane Potions lesson when she received the answer she had hoped for.

"Miss Granger," Professor Slughorn chimed in as she was set to leave, "I need to speak with you privately for a moment if that's all right. It will just take a moment"

"We'll wait for you," Harry commented reassuringly as he and Ron left her alone with the portly Professor. Quickly her paranoia kicked in as she ran through the last few days in her mind thinking of anything she had done that could get her in trouble.

"Nothing to worry about, my dear," the Professor said kindly as he waved her up to his desk. "Klaus Dagworth stopped by briefly last night…said you had some questions about how to handle a rather troublesome elf," he informed as he handed her an envelope. "He asked if I could deliver this to you personally."

She looked at the envelope dumbly, never expecting such a cloak and dagger reply.

"That's all I needed," Slughorn continued cheerfully as he waved her away. "I will see you Saturday morning. It is always helpful to have students volunteer to help with ingredient preparation."

At her questioning look he continued. "Just read the letter and you will understand."

Given how secretive Dagworth and Professor Slughorn had been she decided it would be best to wait until after lunch to read his reply away from prying eyes. She and Harry ducked into an abandoned classroom once their bellies were full and read the letter.

_Miss Granger,_

_It was good to hear from you again. I was afraid that I'd scared you off after our discussion at the party but I'm happy to see that isn't the case. I should have known based on our prior correspondence that you would not be put off that easily._

_You should know, the only place secrets and gossip travel faster than at Hogwarts is the Ministry. Although it was never made public it is an open secret here that Sirius Black was involved and died during your excursion to the Ministry last summer. Given your description of the elf, how he had been treated, and his pureblood beliefs it was fairly easy for me to connect the dots and determine that Mr. Potter was your 'friend' and that the elf served Mr. Black's family. _

_You should also know that it was already widely speculated that Mr. Black was more than likely innocent of the charges he was imprisoned for. The fact that he showed up that night on Mr. Potter's behalf essentially confirmed to everyone here with a working brain that his innocence wasn't just speculation but a fact._

_Given what a popular topic Mr. Potter is these days I thought it would be best to handle our discussion privately, in person. Horace has graciously offered the use of his classroom this Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m. for 'potions ingredient preparation.' Given your high standing in his class this seemed like an excellent excuse for you to be visiting the Professor on Saturday. You are welcome to invite Mr. Potter to join us as well. _

_He also informed me that you have an Apparition lesson scheduled for 10:00 that day, hopefully I can answer any questions you have in the time available. If not, I will be happy to pay another visit._

_Of course, I could be entirely wrong about the friend in question being Mr. Potter and if that is the case there is no need for him to attend. Regardless, please share with Mr. Potter that although it might be hard to believe given his recent treatment, there are many of us here at the Ministry who appreciate and support his efforts. _

_Arthur Weasley in particular has been a rather outspoken, passionate, and convincing advocate of Mr. Potter (and you) over the years. I personally find Arthur a much more credible source of information than the Daily Prophet or our dear, departed Minister, Cornelius Fudge._

_Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday._

_Sincerely,_

_Klaus Dagworth_

_P.S. Mr. Potter's owl is very distinctive and well known at the Ministry. Unless you want to openly broadcast you are writing about Harry Potter I would strongly suggest you use a Hogwarts owl in the future. _

Hermione handed the letter to Harry for him to read, dreading his reaction once he was finished. She had promised Harry that she would be discreet and had thoroughly bungled it up in every way possible. She scrutinized Harry's facial expressions as he read, fearing the inevitable eruption of emotion due to her carelessness. Infuriatingly, he didn't seem upset at all. If anything he seemed pleased.

"This Dagworth bloke seems pretty sharp," he finally commented.

"I'm so sorry, Harry!" she exclaimed. "I should have known he would sort it out."

"Hermione," Harry attempted to interject. She wasn't finished. Not nearly.

"And I can't believe I was stupid enough to use Hedwig!"

"Hermione," Harry tried once again. She would not be deterred.

"The Headmaster even warned us about how distinctive Hedwig was last summer. How could I have forgotten that?"

"Hermione!" Harry nearly shouted in an effort to silence her. "I was the one who suggested using Hedwig so if anyone is at fault it's me," he continued in a much quieter voice, "it's really okay."

"No it's not! I just lectured you the other day about being smarter and I'm not following my own advice!"

"Obviously Professor Slughorn trusts him, and you do to. He seems genuine to me…plus he knows what a bell-end Fudge was. What's the worst that could happen?"

"He could try to murder you!" she answered, much more hysterically than she had intended.

Harry laughed out loud. The fact that he didn't seem to be bothered at all by her slip up was infuriating.

At her pointed glare Harry pulled her into a hug. "Sorry, I know it's not funny," he mumbled.

As much as she wanted to stay annoyed the physical contact and Harry's contrition did the trick, calming her instantly.

"If you are really worried you should go to the meeting by yourself," he continued. "And I honestly don't think there is any real harm in him knowing it was Sirius' elf. Okay?"

She nodded her agreement.

"I know it's probably irrational but I think I should go alone just in case," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Okay," he replied as he released her. She forcefully resisted the urge to pull him back into a hug. She had enjoyed the consoling and could have stood for it lasting a few more seconds. Or minutes. Or hours.

* * *

As she approached Professor Slughorn's classroom Hermione felt inordinately nervous…not because she thought Dagworth posed any sort of threat…but because she felt so stupid. Dagworth didn't seem to be the sort to boast about figuring out she was talking about Harry and Kreacher but that was beside the point. _She_ knew…and it was infuriating.

She entered the room to find Klaus had already arrived. He appeared to be disappointed that Harry was not with her.

"Miss Granger," he greeted, "it is good to see you again."

"You too, Mr. Dagworth. I appreciate you taking the time…and please call me Hermione."

"Not a problem," he assured. "I meant what I said at the party. It's refreshing to see someone so concerned about house elves…particularly one as surly as the one you described."

"Did you really think you scared me off at the party?" Hermione asked.

Dagworth shook his head in remembrance of their prior conversation. "I can be a bit overbearing when people criticize Sluggy. I think I may have been a bit over the top in my defense."

"No," she replied, "it was good to see him from a different perspective. When I think about what you said I agree with most of it."

"Most?" he inquired, clearly curious where there was still disagreement.

"Well I agree with what you said…that he does care about us as people…that it isn't just about getting to stand on the shoulders of giants…"

"But…" he prodded.

"He is a coward," she stated bluntly. "I won't go into details but there are things he knows…things that could help against Voldemort…but he refuses because he is scared."

"Ahh…you've sorted out the one thing I can't defend," he replied. "I know we have limited time but can I waste a few minutes on a personal story that may help explain?"

He took a seat beside her and mimicked her action…staring straight ahead at the blackboard. "I told you I was the head of the least respected Department at the Ministry but that was an exaggeration. Care to guess which department wears that crown?

"Misuse of Muggle Artifacts," she replied immediately.

"Right in one," he confirmed. "Now, I've always reveled in my martyrdom. I love the work and it is important, but I also like the sense of superiority I feel…like I'm less shallow than the other sycophants as I toil away quietly and humbly in defense of the oppressed. But my courage only goes so far. I keep my mouth shut whenever possible…don't make waves…and do my best politically to make a difference."

"But Arthur Weasley…he is better than me…not a better politician mind you…but better. He doesn't care about himself…but he cares about everything else. His family…muggles…wizards…me…you and Harry Potter. He cares deeply and has the courage not to hide it. I, unfortunately, am like Sluggy…a coward. I care about many of the same things but I hide it whenever possible."

"But you're here," she countered, "that counts for something."

"Excellent point," he complimented, "and no-one is more surprised than me at that fact…but I'll get there."

"I wasn't exaggerating about everyone knowing Mr. Potter's owl. As soon as it winged its way to my office the Ministry rumor mill kicked into overdrive. 'Dagworth is consorting with Harry Potter!''"

"Incidentally…let Mr. Potter know he has a bloody smart owl. There are wards in place to direct post owls to the mail room but that owl was having none of it. It dodged Ministry security, pecked at my office door until my assistant opened it, landed on my desk and proceeded to stare at me until I took the letter. First time it's happened to me at the Ministry."

Hermione couldn't wait to pass along Mr. Dagworth's compliments and imagined Hedwig haughtily puffing up her chest at the news.

"Anyway," Dagworth returned to his story, "within minutes Minister Scrimgour was sitting across from me asking if there was anything he could do for my department. When I went to lunch half of the room was staring at me in admiration and the other half looked like they wanted to pull their wand out and end me then and there. My lunch took twice as long to eat due to the number of people…people who'd barely given me the time of day before…stopping by for casual chit chat. It was clear at that point that everyone in the room wanted something from me."

Dagworth stood and paced to the front of the room and leaned on the desk once again. "As I mentioned I am a coward and wanted nothing to do with the attention that came with any real association with your Mr. Potter. I returned to my desk and wrote a formal letter with paragraph after paragraph of generic advice with an identical post script so you'd know never to send another letter to me using Mr. Potter's owl."

"I was all set to send you my horrible letter when yet another visitor showed up…Arthur Weasley. He didn't say anything of significance…didn't ask for anything. He just sat, made a bit of small talk, and then thanked me. He said your friend Mr. Potter doesn't trust or reach out to others easily and the fact that he had sent me a letter confirmed what Arthur had always known…that I was a good person…a brave person. So he thanked me in advance for helping Mr. Potter and left."

"Arthur's visit did a number on me, let me tell you. I realized you and Mr. Potter deserved more than my generic letter so I miraculously summoned up a bit of bravery and here I am," he concluded, pulling himself up to sit on the desk.

"My point, Hermione, is Sluggy is a good person. He is a good person that is afraid…like me. Sluggy wants to do the right thing but it will probably take good people who aren't afraid…people like Arthur...like you…like Mr. Potter…to inspire him to do so."

"So you're saying we should make him feel guilty?" she asked.

"I'm saying you need to be honest and if honesty causes him to feel guilty enough to help than all the better. I know it worked on me."

"Seeing as Mr. Potter isn't here I must admit I feel a bit foolish, though. I was positive the elf you asked about was somehow related to him."

"No, you were right. The elf is bonded to Harry now. But we thought it best if Harry didn't attend. There have been several threats to his life over the years and we don't know you very well…not that we think you would do such a thing but-"

Dagworth held up his hands to stop her explanation. "I understand and it is a perfectly reasonable precaution. It's embarrassing the things you children have to deal with. You should be sleeping in on a Saturday morning…not having to deal with this nonsense."

"Right," Dagworth continued, clapping his hands and jumping off of the desk. "Let's talk about this pesky elf of yours."

* * *

Precisely one week after their last conversation with Kreacher, Hermione and Harry were back in the same classroom. Mr. Dagworth had advised it was important to keep a schedule with Kreacher so this would be the new routine.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Harry muttered in annoyance.

"Just remember what I told you," Hermione admonished, confident Dagworth's advice would work eventually.

"Kreacher!" Harry called.

It may have been her hopeful imagination but it seemed to Hermione that the creature arrived slightly faster than the last time.

"Master called Kreacher?" the elf asked, his usual annoyance front and center.

"Yes," Harry began, "I just wanted to check in…see how you were doing with my orders."

"Kreacher has followed Master's orders" he replied in disgust.

"Thank you," Harry replied just like Dagworth suggested. So far so good.

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Harry grit out.

The elf's look of disgust turned to confusion. "Kreacher does not understand."

"Do you need anything at the house? Would you like me to modify one of my orders? Basically is there anything that is bothering you that I can help with?"

The elf considered his words for several minutes. Clearly this had never happened before.

"Kreacher would like to call Miss Granger a Mudblood,"

Hermione stifled a laugh at Kreacher's comment. At least he was honest.

"Sorry," Harry replied, "that order stays."

"Kreacher would like to call Mr. Weasley a blood traitor."

It looked like Harry was now struggling not to laugh. "That one stays as well, I'm afraid," he eventually spit out.

"Kreacher would like to be able to talk to Mistress Black once again," the elf continued.

"I told you last week you were allowed to talk to her," Harry answered in confusion.

"Master ordered Kreacher to stop talking to Mistress Black if she insulted Master's friends. Mistress Black insulted Miss Granger five minutes after Kreacher's last visit and Kreacher followed Master's order. Mistress Black now screams at Kreacher for not speaking to her. Kreacher is getting many headaches due to all of the yelling."

"Okay, you are allowed to explain to the portrait why you were forbidden to talk to her. Once you explain it to her you can continue speaking to her unless she insults one of my friends again. Make sure you explain that it is up to her holding her tongue if she wants you to speak to her. Understand?"

"Yes, Master," Kreacher replied.

"Good," Harry continued, clearly relieved that the conversation was nearing its conclusion. ""I'd like you to spend your time cleaning the kitchen this week. Don't overwork yourself but do the job to the best of your abilities."

The elf's eyes bulged at the request…clearly not expecting such a specific and mundane order. "Yes, Master Potter," he eventually replied.

"I'll call you again next week around this time to check in on how things are going and give you your orders for the week."

Hermione leaned in and whispered one final bit of advice.

"Good point, thanks Hermione," Harry acknowledged. "If Mistress Black's yelling becomes a problem again before I call you next week come see me right away. I don't want you to have to keep suffering if I can help it."

"Yes, Master Potter," Kreacher replied, still confused at their new dynamic.

"Great! Thanks for coming. See you next week."

After the elf popped away Harry sank down into a chair and ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"How long did Dagworth reckon it would take to sort Kreacher out?"

"No more than two years, probably. Three years at the most," she said, trying and failing to suppress a grin at Harry's horrified reaction.

"So one hundred and four weeks," Harry muttered.

"One hundred fifty six at the most," she added through her laughter.

"Maybe I should order him to call you Sinclair from now on. Or even better, Janey!"

Within seconds of his comment Harry was dangling in the air, desperately reaching for the wand he had casually placed on a nearby desk.

"You know I've really come around on _Levicorpus_, Harry," Hermione gloated as Harry continued to futilely try and reach for his wand. "It can really come in handy in the right situation."


	9. Chapter 9

**HGPS – Chapter 9**

It had been a busy and exceedingly fascinating several weeks since the first mirror meeting. They had made significant progress on the project…mainly due to her and…to her immense joy…Harry's contribution. She was still responsible for a majority of the work but Harry had really made a difference. Having him intently listening to her ramblings and adding his own thoughts when he could was everything. Slughorn had been onto something in mentioning how well they complimented each other.

Most amazingly he had begun spending virtually all of his free time with her. Even Quidditch didn't seem to be a major focus as Harry spent very little time working on or talking about Quidditch outside of the mandatory practices. On more than one occasion Quidditch members had attempted to start a conversation on potential strategies only to be put off by Harry…saying they would talk about it later. Only there was never any later…because the later was spent with her in the library or the common room…or in the kitchens…or studying outside when the weather cooperated. She felt a bit bad about how much she was enjoying monopolizing so much of Harry's time but reminded herself that it was Harry's choice.

But while Harry had done his part in creating the mirrors the contributions of the other two initial participants had become virtually nonexistent.

Ron's lack of sustained impact on the project was most likely because he was…well...Ron. As good as his intentions were at the beginning, the fact remained that sitting and poring through books was not his strength…and it was certainly not something they could have expected him to do in the long term. So while he still showed up for their discussions he remained relatively silent and spent most of his time doodling on his parchment. Unlike in the past he never complained or made jokes at her expense…which was a nice change.

After supplying the mirrors at their second meeting Lavender's contribution to the cause now was non-existent. She had not shown up for the last two meetings…had not even spoken to Hermione recently despite the fact that they shared a room. Hermione had racked her brain trying to think of anything she had said or done over that could have set the girl off but came up with nothing.

And although Lavender and Ron were still together Ron seemed to be doing his best to spend more and more time elsewhere than at her side. He had even volunteered to take additional after hour patrols at the last Prefect meeting. She felt bad at looking so shocked at his pronouncement until she realized everyone else in attendance was equally as surprised. It was such an odd role reversal. Volunteering for extra patrols was something she would never even consider at this point because it would mean less time spent with Harry

Perhaps the most startling occurrence had happened thirty minutes ago at their third Apparition lesson. As she dug into her lunch she did her best to stifle the slight pang of jealousy she was now feeling. Thankfully her feelings of pride and admiration successfully drowned it out. In the end she realized that being jealous of Harry accomplishing something before her was like being jealous of the sun rising every morning. It was infinitely better when she focused on the warmth it provided.

"It isn't fair!" Ron exclaimed good naturedly before enthusiastically digging into his lunch. "You're the only one in our year whose side along Apparated and now you're the first to do it on your own! What was it like?"

"Slightly less awful since I knew the awful feeling was coming," Harry muttered, uncomfortable with the attention his success had garnered.

"Well we've got two weeks until the next lesson and you have to teach me how you did it," Ron instructed.

All of the Gryffindors seated around them were waiting with bated breath on Harry's answer. She noticed a few stray Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had taken nearby seats as well. It seemed like everyone always waited on Harry for guidance and their reliance seemed to grow every year.

"It's not that simple, Ron," she interjected. "Apparating is extremely complex. If you really want to learn it by the next lesson I have several-"

"Determination," Harry interrupted. He glanced at her before continuing.

"I tricked myself into thinking that I _had_ to be successful or the worst thing I could imagine would happen if I didn't land in that hoop."

"Like you were going to die?" Ron asked, clearly intrigued.

"Something like that," Harry mumbled before looking down at his meal.

The table became unnaturally quiet as everyone seemed to focus on their own food. Hermione guessed they were all thinking along the same lines…speculating on the horrible thing Harry had forced himself to think about to be successful. Given the myriad awful things Harry had actually experienced whatever he had imagined would have been truly horrific.

She and Ginny seemed to be the only ones not eating. The admiration, fondness and _worry_ on Ginny's face as she stared unabashedly at Harry was palpable and mirrored what Hermione was feeling inside. She'd noticed that Ginny affection for her boyfriend seemed to be waning and her glances toward Harry had been on the rise lately. Unlike with Cho, Hermione was not going to bow out gracefully this time.

This time she'd allowed herself to think that she could make Harry even happier and more fulfilled than anyone else. Most importantly she now had over two months worth of proof to back up her hope. _Not a hope _she mentally corrected…a _hypothesis_. Hypothesis made it sound much more reasoned and _possible_ than the word hope.

Before she began eating she nudged Harry and whispered "Thank you for trying." For the first time since the Apparition lesson Harry smiled.

Harry was much more despondent when he slumped through the portrait hole later that night and dropped into the chair across from her.

"It actually went worse than the last time," Harry spit out in frustration. "I'd barely gotten a few sentences out before Slughorn chucked me."

"Did you take Dagworth's advice?" she asked.

"I tried!" he pleaded, "I tried to talk about myself but I just sounded like I was showing off! He saw right through it. I'm just going to use the Felix Felicis."

"No!" she pleaded louder than she'd intended. They'd both agreed the potion would be much better served to saved for something more life threatening if at all possible..

"No," she repeated again after calming herself, "not yet. Let me try first."

"You have to have a plan, Hermione," Harry recited in his best imitation of twelve year old Hermione at her most obnoxious.

"Don't make me use _Levicorpus_ again, Harry," she joked before discreetly casting _Muffliato. _"Dagworth was convinced because Mr. Weasley had talked about you…maybe he will listen to me."

"That's all well and good, Harry said, "but how are you even going to get that far? He knows you're my best friend…I'm sure he'll suss out what you are up to."

"I'm going to play to my strengths," she explained.

"Rewriting my essays?" Harry speculated.

"Endearing myself to the professors," she corrected before returning to her work, "and if that doesn't work I'll start crying."

He chuckled at her plan. "I know the professors love you but I didn't know you could pretend to cry."

She could have ignored his comment…she could have made a joke or deflected…but she wanted him to know the truth. Besides, if she was ever going to summon the courage and admit her true feelings this would serve as a good baby step before the big leap.

"I'll be talking about you, Harry. I won't need to pretend," she answered quietly, never looking up from her work.

She continued to focus on her essay and heard Harry pulling out his own work. They worked in silence for several minutes before Harry spoke.

"I thought about you…being cursed in the Department of Mysteries…that if I could get there in time I could stop the curse from hitting you. That's how I Apparated."

She dropped her quill and placed a hand over his. "Harry…"

"I tried thinking about Sirius first but it didn't work," Harry continued, "because he's already gone I think."

She felt tears forming. "See?" she chuckled, wiping her eyes. "No pretending necessary."

Hermione was positive she would successfully Apparate at the next lesson.

* * *

Hermione gazed at her watch. She'd spent sixty minutes dutifully dicing bat entrails while listening to Slughorn give fascinating tips on ingredient preparation and waxing rhapsodically about his favorite students over the years. It seemed that Harry and…to her surprise…she were rapidly rising in the ranks. She hated to spoil Slughorn's nostalgic fun but she only had an hour left to get what she came for.

"If I'd known setting up clandestine meetings would actually lead to students helping me with ingredient preparation I'd have started scheming and plotting decades ago!" Slughorn enthused as he happily scooped up her tray and gave her a fresh batch to work on.

"It's well worth getting up so early on a Saturday." he continued in mirth as he set to work on his own batch.

Hermione took a deep breath and thought about Dagworth's advice. _Just be honest_. Time to start failing miserably.

"It's the least I could do, sir," she began, "especially considering your problems with Harry lately."

"Well…yes," he stammered, "I know Mr. Potter's heart is in the right place but he can be a bit _forward_."

"He can't help it," she continued on, focusing on her work. "He's faced Voldemort four times since he's been at Hogwarts. Did you know that?"

"You can't be serious," Slughorn scoffed, the disbelief and horror evident in his voice.

"It's true," she continued on. "He saved me from a troll in my first year too. I was in the loo when they announced to everyone that it was loose in the school so I didn't know. Everyone was supposed to go back to their dormitories but Harry didn't. He came to find me and risked his life because he was worried about me...he didn't even flinch…jumped right on its back. We weren't even friends then."

She let the silence linger a bit…letting the weight of Harry's bravery at eleven sink in to Slughorn. It had been over five years and she still didn't quite believe the memory that she knew to be real…seeing that Harry had not only come to find her but had leaped without hesitating on the beast.

"Do you remember a few years back…the Chamber of Secrets being opened…that was real. There was a basilisk being let loose by a diary enchanted with the spirit of Voldemort I was one of the students who was petrified."

She'd expected Slughorn to interrupt her by now but he remained silent…she ploughed on.

"Harry found the Chamber and faced the basilisk and Voldemort alone. My parents took me on holiday to France that summer so I could visit Beauxbautons…after the troll and the petrification they wanted me to transfer…actually they demanded that I transfer."

Slughorn was staring straight ahead now…his own work now forgotten. Still silent.

"I refused and until recently kept all of the horrible things that have happened since from them. I told them the only way I wouldn't be at Hogwarts was if Harry wasn't there."

"I suppose you've heard a bit about Voldemort's resurrection at the Tri Wizard Tournament?" she asked.

"Just the basics from that Quibbler article and what the headmaster has shared…horrible business," he muttered.

"Did you know the cup was-"

"A portkey, yes," Slughorn interrupted uncomfortably. "Mr. Potter summoned it to escape as I understand it. Remarkable presence of mind..."

Her stomach clenched at the memory she was dredging up. She hated imagining what he had gone through…Harry had shared bits and pieces but she knew it was infinitely worse than he had let on.

"He'd survived that horrid maze…watched Cedric murdered in front of his eyes…been tortured with _Cruciatus_ …he was all alone…against Voldemort and his most loyal followers. Not only did he escape but he brought Cedric Diggory's body back."

Those torturous minutes after Harry and Cedric had disappeared from the maze had been the worst of her life. She had been sure that he was dead…that she had failed him. She knew she would never return to Hogwarts if it had been the case.

She shook her head and felt her eyes moistening before forcing herself to continue

"A few days after…after he'd recovered… I lectured Harry…said as brave as it was he shouldn't have worried about bringing Cedric back….that it was too risky. He said he had to…I'm not sure what the spell was but the spirits of the people Voldemort had murdered came out of his wand when they were dueling…including Cedric and Harry's parents."

"Lily and James?" Slughorn breathed in stunned disbelief.

"Harry told me spirit of Cedric asked him to bring his body back. I told him that wasn't a good enough reason to risk his own safety and he got mad. We rowed a bit but I didn't change my mind until that summer…when I realized that I was just the same. Coming back to Hogwarts was a risk. Being his friend is a risk. Following your heart…doing what's right…it isn't rational. If Harry had done the rational thing I would have died five years ago in a Hogwarts bathroom. One of our friends would have died in the Chamber. Cedric's parents wouldn't have been able to bury their son."

She looked up to see that Slughorn now seemed a bit lost, most likely awash in his own memories of Harry's parents…or maybe his fateful discussion with Riddle. She'd skipped past half of the things that she'd included on her outline of talking points but it was too late to turn back now.

"Last year…the incident at the Department of Mysteries…it was a trap that Harry fell for and his godfather died because of it. With all of the other awful things he has to deal with he knows his poor decision caused his godfather to be killed."

She had to stop working and look up as her tears had started falling into her pan. She quickly pulled off her gloves and wiped them away.

"He loved Sirius more than anything else in his life and it was his fault he was dead. He should have given up. Everyone else _would_ have given up"

The tears were coming faster than she could wipe them away now. It felt good to let them out for once…away from Harry's uncomfortable reaction. She hoped they were making Slughorn uncomfortable.

"But he came back and he keeps trying," she spit out through her tears. She took a deep breath and gathered herself before continuing.

"So that's why I'm now going to ask you for that memory…the same reason I refused to go to Beauxbatons. Harry isn't going to give up and he can't do it alone. He needs everyone and everything possible that can help. Your memory can help."

Her last sentence broke him out of his trance and his eyes shot to her. "You don't understand what you are asking," he sputtered.

Time for one final bit of honesty to truly make the man feel guilty. It had been Harry's suggestion and it was a good one.

"Harry was going to use the Felix Felicis he won but I asked him to let me try first. I know Harry will be…_we_ will be…in a life or death situation again…probably multiple times. That potion is too valuable to waste on this. I need it…I need anything I can find…to keep Harry alive. Because he won't stop trying."

She looked down, uncomfortable at the depth of Slughorn's agony. "Mr. Dagworth said you are a good man and I think he is right. I don't think we need the potion to have you do the right thing. All I'm asking is for you to be a little brave…to take a risk. For Harry. For me."

She'd done it…she'd said her piece. As the minutes of silence ticked by she feared that the message had not registered as much as she'd hoped. She heard Slughorn moving about a bit but didn't dare look to see what he was doing.

"These are done, Profess-"

She looked up to see Slughorn standing beside her, holding a vial filled with a milky cloud like substance.

"Harry may look like his father but he is truly his mother's son. Lily never stopped trying," Slughorn commented as he shot her a sad smile.

"Your Apparition instruction is due to start in a few minutes so you'd best be off. Thank you for your help today, Miss Granger," he informed, handing her the vial. He sounded very tired.

"Thank you," she quickly replied, not wanting to give him a chance to change his mind. "Same time next week?"

"That would be lovely," Slughorn said wearily as he walked away.

"Where would you like me to put my tray?" she asked, doing her best to remain calm. Professor Slughorn looked very troubled and celebrating didn't feel appropriate at the time. She would save that for when she talked to Harry.

"Over there," he instructed, pointing lazily to an empty space near several boiling cauldrons.

She placed the pan down and a familiar scent wafted into her senses. "Are you planning another party, sir?" she asked hopefully. Having an excuse to have a few more fruity drinks and dance with Harry sounded lovely.

Her question drew him out of his musings as he cast a confused stare her way. "That isn't my party potion. That is pure Amortentia…I'm covering it in my seventh year class on Monday."

She inhaled deeply, taking in the scent once again to confirm her senses hadn't deceived her before giving a sad smile at the result. Amortentia no longer smelled like the broom polish she'd given Harry as part of his thirteenth birthday present…now it smelled like the party…her party spent with Harry. Amortentia used to smell like the hope of a thirteen year old girl fantasizing about a mythical future but now it felt real and tangible...like something she had actually experienced...that _they_ had experienced.

The universe seemed to be telling her to stop ignoring or denying facts and really_ talk_ to Harry. It had been easy to ignore when she had smelled Amortentia earlier in the year…now she knew it was a losing battle. A bit of the excitement caused by obtaining Slughorn's memory seeped away as she thought about Harry's potential rejection.

That was something to be dealt with soon but Slughorn's memory would and should be their next conversation. She told herself she would admit her feelings soon but helping Harry was more important. Letting him share the memory with Dumbledore and absorbing and analyzing the ramifications was much more important. She pushed back on the niggling part of her brain telling her she was making another excuse before quickly moving toward the exit, wanting to tell Harry the good news as soon as possible.

She thrust open Slughorn's door to find, inexplicably, Harry, preparing to knock. Before she could speak Ron's head popped out from behind, looking very excited. His expression fell immediately upon spotting her, turning into a mixture of anger and disappointment.

"That's not Romilda!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It had been nine hours since she had watched Ron dying. Nine hours since she'd gone from the excitement of getting Slughorn's memory…to the unexpected joy at seeing Harry…to the amusement of hearing Ron dreamily ruminate on the ethereal beauty of Romilda Vane…to terror and panic as she watched him dying.

Excitement, joy, terror, panic…her five plus years at Hogwarts had been encapsulated in the span of five minutes. Her excitement and happiness, no matter how monumental or meaningful, always seemed to be quickly snuffed out by something equally as awful…something truly and horrifically awful…happening. She wondered if the cycle would ever end.

As she sat next to Ron's bedside the voices wafting around her were drowned out…her mind stubbornly focused only on the most disappointing of emotions. Panic.

She and Slughorn had panicked. She wished there were a more benign or less severe way to describe it but to do so would have been a lie. She had panicked…and because she had panicked she was going to watch Ron die.

Until he didn't die…because Harry hadn't panicked…he had kept his head and saved him. Her mental tally of things more important than books and cleverness was now up to three: Friendship…and bravery…and _not _panicking.

She was roused out of her thoughts by Ginny. "What do think, Hermione?"

She looked up to see Ginny, Harry and the Weasley twins anxiously waiting on her thoughts. Hermione had no idea how long she had not been listening and realized there was no need to pretend. "I'm sorry…I was lost in my thoughts. What do I think about what?"

Ginny gave her a sad smile and Hermione knew she understood. They'd taken turns doing it throughout the day…losing themselves in the most horrific 'what ifs' that could have happened.

"Whether Slughorn could have been trying to poison Ron," Ginny supplied.

Hermione considered it before quickly dismissing it in her mind. Too many random things had happened to make such an idea seem feasible…and she agreed with Mr. Dagworth that her professor was a good man. The fact that he had given her the memory confirmed it in her mind.

"No, I don't think so," she replied before turning back to look at Ron as he slept.

"Someone could have used polyjuice," Fred offered.

"Or he may have been under the _Imperius_," George interjected.

"I was with him all morning and I never saw him drink anything," she answered, suddenly remembering that she hadn't shared her success with Harry.

She glanced pointedly at him before continuing. "And he shared specific things, _memories_, only he would know." She watched Harry's eyes widen at her words.

She nodded in acknowledgement at his questioning glance…his tired smile restoring a bit of her energy and hope. At least one good thing had come out of the day.

"I can't think of any reason he would want to hurt Ron and he's been alone several times with Harry this year. It wouldn't make sense to try something with all three of us-"

Her speculation was interrupted by Ron suddenly and dreamily murmuring her name in his sleep, drawing chuckles from his siblings. She supposed they found it comforting to hear his voice again…an acknowledgement that he was truly alive and well. She, however, did not take any comfort from hearing him saying her name. It felt too intimate…unnatural…to be coming from his mouth. She refused to look at Harry to see his reaction…unsure whether she could manage it if he had found it amusing.

The conversation turned toward other potential culprits…including Harry's adamant declaration that Draco may be the one to blame. As she continued to listen her stomach clenched. If the botched attempts that injured Katie and Ron were meant for Dumbledore than they were amateurish and sloppy…the acts of someone desperate and ill equipped for such a task. Someone like Draco.

Her reverie was interrupted as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley bounded into the room, quickly enveloping her and Harry in hugs and handshakes, thanking them effusively for saving Ron's life. She felt like such a fraud.

"I didn't…it was Harry-"

Her protestations were ignored as Mrs. Weasley pulled her closer. "If it hadn't been Harry I'm sure it would have been you, dear," she murmured softly. "I'm just relieved you are all safe," she consoled as she gave her a gentle squeeze.

Her mind drifted to her own mother and she wondered what she was doing at that moment…probably watching a bit of telly or reading before bed. She unconsciously buried her face into the matron's shoulder and felt her begin softly smoothing her hair.

It dawned on her that Mrs. Weasley had nearly lost two of her children and her husband in the span of four years. But despite all that Mrs. Weasley wasn't crying…she was the one doing the comforting and consoling. She was so strong…so brave.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled without thinking.

"Shhh," Mrs. Weasley murmured softly as she continued to smooth her hair. "I know, dear."

All too soon Mrs. Weasley moved her affections back toward the rest of the group. Hermione watched as Harry once again uncomfortably accepted Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's praise and a decision was made. She needed to tell him as soon as possible…consequences be damned. There would be no more delaying, no more denying and most definitely no more panicking.

* * *

The walk back to Gryffindor that night was unnaturally quiet. She was so tired…so worn out…from this place. She was positive Ginny and Harry felt exactly the same way.

As she prepared to supply the password the door inexplicably swung open of its own accord. Professor McGonagall was on the other side…looking as tired as Hermione felt.

"I have informed everyone that there was an attack and that Mr. Weasley is in the hospital wing but have not provided any details," she said, weariness evident in her voice. "They have also been informed not to pester you three with questions."

"I know it will be difficult but try to get some sleep tonight," the professor encouraged before leaving.

As they separated from Ginny she handed the memory vial to Harry. "We can talk tomorrow," she said quietly, "I just want to go to bed."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah…we'll talk tomorrow…and thank you," he muttered distractedly as he headed for his own room, ignoring the curious stares of everyone as he passed.

She had barely made two steps into her room before she was stopped by a forceful tug on her arm. It was Lavender. They hadn't told Lavender about Ron. She had to hear about it from McGonagall with everyone else. Shit.

"I'm sorr-"

"McGonagall said Ron was going to be okay. Was she telling the truth?" Lavender asked desperately.

"Yes," she replied quickly. Hermione felt a bit better at Lavender's look of relief.

"What happened?" Lavender demanded.

She thought about McGonagall's instruction and how Lavender had ignored it entirely. She would have done exactly the same.

"I'm really sorry we didn't think to tell you earlier. Everything happened so fast and-"

"What. Happened." Lavender repeated more forcefully.

Straight to the point, Hermione could respect that. Best to get on with it.

"Ron was poisoned…we don't think he was the intended target."

"Stop skipping over the details and tell me what happened!" Lavender practically screamed.

"Someone gave Harry some sweets for Christmas that were laced with a love potion," she began, doing her best to remain calm. "Ron ate some by mistake this morning and Harry took Ron to Slughorn for an antidote straightaway. Slughorn's cure worked but Ron was upset afterward. Slughorn gave Ron some mead to settle him but it had been poisoned. We don't-"

"Who?" Lavender interrupted forcefully.

"We aren't sure. Obviously we know that Slughorn wasn't trying to poison Ron. The mead Ron drank was meant to be a gift for Dumbledore so the question is-"

Lavender shook her head angrily and interrupted again. "No, who was the slag who gave Ron a love potion?"

The unbridled fury in Lavender's eyes was a bit unsettling. Is that what it looked like when she got angry? She had already planned to have words with Romilda in the morning but it was becoming clear that may not be necessary. She doubted there would be much left to say after Lavender was done with her.

"Romilda. Romilda Vane," she replied.

She watched as Lavender's anger seemed to rise even further before she eventually, after several minutes, calmed down and gathered her thoughts, becoming much more pensive.

"Why didn't you want me to have a mirror?" Lavender asked inexplicably.

"I'm not sure what you are asking…" Hermione managed, thrown off by the sudden change in topic.

"I understood why you wouldn't want mine to be connected to you and Harry but why couldn't Ron and I have connected mirrors? I mean…I helped you," Lavender pleaded.

"I don't…I never said you we couldn't do that, Lavender," she replied, still trying to get her bearings.

Lavender took a seat on her bed and stared at her hands. Eventually she began speaking once again. "Ron said he asked you about connecting our mirrors and you said no…that it wouldn't be safe. Are you saying he never brought it up?"

It all became clear now…why Lavender had stopped speaking to her. Ron wanted to distance himself or at least was scared of taking the next step and was using her as an excuse. She took a seat on the bed next to Lavender.

"I'm sorry. He never asked me about that. Is that why you've been avoiding me?" she asked kindly. This odd role reversal regarding Ron seemed like the most logical end to her bizarre day. She put an arm around Lavender consolingly and was grateful when the girl didn't resist.

"Do you fancy Ron?" Lavender asked without hesitation.

"No," Hermione replied. "I thought maybe he and I could be something one day…but no."

"It's Harry isn't it?" Lavender asked.

"I don't-" Hermione began with her normal denial before catching herself. She was through with denying facts.

"Yes," she corrected, releasing a breath. "It's Harry. It's always been Harry."

"That's what I thought," Lavender consoled. "I guess I just wanted to believe Ron's story that you were jealous because than it wouldn't mean…" she shared before drifting off.

"I'm sorry," Hermione repeated, not knowing what else to say.

"It's all right," Lavender said as she gathered herself and stood. "Is he conscious?"

Hermione had to take a moment to consider the question…thrown off once again by the sudden change in topic.

"He's asleep right now and he'll have to stay in the hospital wing for the next week but Pomfrey said he should be awake and alert by tomorrow morning."

"Good," Lavender replied determinedly. "I think it's time he and I had a long chat. Don't you?"

Hermione smiled. "Just tell me what time and I'll make sure Harry and I make ourselves scarce. Ron deserves your undivided attention."

Lavender smiled tiredly and stood to leave. "Just so you know…it's obvious to everyone that Harry feels the same way about you. I think you and Ron are the only two who haven't figured that out."

* * *

"So Dumbledore reckons you'll be able to love him to death?" Ron asked indignantly the next evening after Harry had shared Slughorn's memory and his subsequent discussion with Dumbledore. "That's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Harry chuckled as Hermione remained quiet, reviewing everything Harry had shared: Voldemort's Horcruxes, four of which still needed to be found and destroyed…the fact that Voldemort himself had essentially chosen Harry and set the prophecy in motion…Dumbledore's confidence that Harry's ability and willingness to love would be the key to his victory. That Dumbledore openly admitted to leveraging Harry's goodness and humanity to seemingly manipulate him…knowing Harry would never give up. It was too much.

She was suddenly so _angry._ After everything they'd been through…to have so far to go yet no definitive course of action to accomplish their ultimate goal…just a vague promise from Dumbledore that he _may_ have a lead on another Horcrux that Harry could help with.

"You're awfully quiet," Harry prompted as he nudged her arm.

She wanted nothing more than to vent her frustrations and _terror_ at the tasks Harry had in front of him but she knew that wouldn't help. "We'll figure it out," she said as confidently as she could manage, reaching for his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Harry shot her a relieved smile and she felt a bit of accomplishment. Despite the seemingly impossible odds in front of them she believed in Harry. That would never change.

"Curfew is in fifteen minutes," Madame Pomfrey chastised as she bustled over to Ron's bedside, "you two need to head back to Gryffindor."

Ron's poisoning and the revelations of Slughorn's memory had temporarily delayed the discussion she wanted to have with Harry and her impatience was growing. As she and Harry quietly made their way back to the Gryffindor common room Hermione's wheels were spinning furiously. She needed to talk to Harry.

She resolved to tell him once they made it back to Gryffindor that night. She could pull him into a corner, cast a privacy spell and confess her feelings. She had planned out exactly what she wanted to say and had been reciting it to herself all day. Dress rehearsals were over…it was showtime.

As they came closer to their destination her confidence started to waver, terrified at the potential rejection she could be facing in a few minutes. She unconsciously fell back on the habit she had honed over the last ten years whenever she became too nervous before a particularly important exam. _Distract yourself by mentally reviewing and re-reviewing all the relevant points to be covered…remember to remain calm…focus on the task at hand and disregard the potential for-_

Her planning was interrupted as Harry tugged on her elbow, leading her into an empty classroom and quickly casting _Muffliato_ before turning back to look at her. He looked nervous.

"I need to tell you something," he began abruptly as he took a seat. "Something I've wanted to say for awhile."

Her first instinct was to remind him that curfew was in a few minutes but she quickly realized how stupid it was to worry about such things. Whatever Harry needed to share was infinitely more important than something so trivial. She took a seat and reached for his hand, reveling in the simple contact.

Harry refused to look her in the eyes, instead choosing to stare at the desk in front of him.

"I don't fancy Ginny anymore," he blurted, "after spending time with you the last few months I'm not sure if I ever did. Well I did, but it wasn't what I thought it was."

Before she could reply Harry trudged on, determined to get through whatever he needed to say.

"Did I ever tell you that Ron and I actually caught her and Dean snogging in a broom closet last fall?" he asked. She shook her head no and waited for him to continue.

"I remember being so angry...like Dean was playing with one of my toys or something. But I got over it and moved on. I didn't like seeing them together but I could handle it. Now I see them together and feel…nothing."

She realized how similar her reaction had been at seeing Ron and Lavender together…like a child throwing a tantrum because her square block wouldn't fit into the round hole no matter how much she thought it should.

"Do you remember how Ron described the dementors on the train in third year?" Harry continued.

"Like he'd never be cheerful again," she answered.

Harry nodded sadly and continued. "When Ron said your name while he was sleeping last night…that's what it felt like. I pictured you and him kissing like I'd seen Ginny and Dean and I felt like I'd never be cheerful again."

This was really happening. Lavender was right. Harry felt the same way and it was happening.

"I felt like such an idiot when I was talking to Dumbledore today," he ploughed on. "He was telling me all these important things…things I've been waiting years to learn…and I just kept thinking about missing my chance with you…and it felt just as important as what he was saying."

"Harry," she mumbled softly, suddenly and inexplicably at a loss for words.

"It's all right if you don't feel the same way," he quickly forged on, apparently interpreting her muted response as a polite rejection. "I just needed to say it. I wanted you to-"

Harry never got the chance to finish his thought because Hermione had leaped across the desk and into his lap, kissing him furiously.

There were several thoughts that flashed through Hermione's mind over the next hour (lifetime?): That she might have injured Harry with how forcefully she had begun kissing him…how the table digging into her back would most likely result in a bruise tomorrow…how many infernal layers of clothing they were wearing…how loud her and Harry's breathing through their noses sounded as the minutes passed and they refused to disentangle themselves from each other. All of those thoughts were fleeting and overridden by the important part…the enormously important part. She was kissing Harry and he was kissing her back.

She never wanted to stop. She understood totally and completely why her mother decided to skive off that dental conference. Nothing else mattered and she never wanted to leave this room. Or Harry's lap. Ever.

They'd sped up and slowed down at certain points throughout the hour/lifetime they'd spent in that empty classroom but they hadn't stopped. She refused to stop….because when they stopped she knew she would need to start thinking again…and _feeling_ Harry instead of having to worry about him felt so good.

"Hermione," Harry eventually managed as he forcibly pulled back, gasping for breath, chest heaving.

He looked a mess. His hair was now pointing in all directions, his robe was gone and his shirt was half off. His tie was barely hanging on for dear life and his glasses were nowhere to be found. He looked slightly dazed and very pleased with himself.

As he squinted to see her she reached for her wand and muttered _Accio_, her desire to find Harry's glasses matched only by her need to continue being in Harry's lap. She felt a surge of triumph as the glasses slapped into her hand. She'd accomplished her task without having to leave his lap. She loved magic.

The glasses were horribly bent…an innocent victim caught in the scrum of their glorious hour/lifetime…not to mention the damage caused by the most forceful and urgent _Accio_ that she had ever cast. She quickly cast _Occulus Reparo_, mending the glasses for what seemed like the millionth time in their last six years together. Always in the past she had dutifully handed the glasses over to Harry once they were repaired but this time would be different. She'd wanted to do this next bit for years.

She gently placed them back on Harry's face herself and caught a breath as she watched his eyes focus on her. Those eyes…mere inches away…focusing only on her…that was her new Patronus memory. She wouldn't be surprised if her Patronus was now a pair of green eyes. Was that even possible? Whether anyone had managed a Patronus composed solely of one body part sounded like an interesting research topic but that was something to look into another day. It was time to spend another hour/lifetime kissing Harry.

As she leaned forward Harry repeated her name and leaned back to stop her…frustrating her to no end. "Less talking," she muttered, but Harry stubbornly persisted.

"It's already at least an hour past curfew," Harry spit out. "I don't want you to get it in trouble."

"Do you have your invisibility cloak?" she asked in a whisper as she trailed kisses down his neck. She felt him gulp before slowly nodding his head.

Harry quickly cast _Accio _and Hermione felt the cloak whisk by her and into his waiting hand. She heard Harry's wand clank to the floor then felt the familiar sensation of the fabric drape over her as she rested her head into the small of Harry's shoulder where she knew it fit perfectly. She closed her eyes and whispered "I love you," into his ear without a second thought. She felt him catch a breath at her words and worried she might have gone too far then felt her own chest hitch as he pulled her closer and quietly replied "me too."

She leaned in but was infuriatingly stopped once again. "Are you sure?" he asked as she hovered inches away from her target.

Was he asking whether she was sure she wanted to break curfew or whether she really meant to say she loved him? Ultimately it didn't matter because her answer to both was the same.

She untucked the last bit of her own shirt that had somehow remained in place and purposely pulled Harry's hands onto her now bare skin. It felt wonderful and terrifying…like they were simultaneously moving too fast yet not nearly fast enough.

There was no further resistance from Harry as she leaned forward once again. She paused when she was inches away from her final destination and whispered her answer.

"No more talking, Harry. It's my night off."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Hermione and Harry had spent an additional hour/lifetime in her new favorite classroom. She couldn't believe she had planned on confessing her feelings to Harry in the common room with all of those annoying people around. Harry's idea had been much better.

The walk back to Gryffindor that typically would have taken ten minutes was taking three times as long tonight and it was all the cloak's fault. Because they were under the cloak she had to stay close to Harry. And because she was close to Harry she couldn't help but look at his eyes. And because she was close to Harry when she was looking at his eyes she was also close to his mouth. They'd had to stop three times along the way because of that damn cloak. It was a vicious cycle. A wonderful, luminescent, vicious cycle.

As slow as their journey was the fat lady finally came into view and her stomach sank a bit. Once they crossed that threshold the realities they faced, the realities _Harry_ faced…would be back. For one brief, irrational moment she thought about them making a run for it.

Harry slowly pulled the cloak off as they approached the door, causing the fat lady to jump slightly in surprise. After getting over the initial shock of their appearance her eyes widened and a knowing smirk grew on her face. "I see someone's been having fun," she remarked gleefully.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked. She'd made sure they'd gotten everything back in place during their last pit stop.

"Well you've fixed your hair and straightened your clothes but both your necks are looking quite…vibrant. Especially Mr. Potter's"

Hermione let out a squeak of horror and Harry started laughing…loudly.

"Harry!" she protested feebly, "this isn't funny!"

"Come on, it's a bit funny," he grinned. He had such a nice grin.

"We've all been there, dear," the portrait reassured. "I remember one particularly memorable night with the monk on the fourth floor a few years ago. I could have used an easel and a friendly artist the next morning let me tell you…"

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow. "Doesn't that sort of go against the whole reason for being a monk?

The fat lady smiled dreamily. "Well, he is the epitome of the strong, silent type but let's just say his feelings concerning his other vows are a bit more _fluid_ once he brings out the wine…"

They were mercifully saved from hearing the rest of the fat lady's reminisces as Harry pulled her back into a classroom. "You do me first," he advised as he cast _Lumos _and held the light up to his neck.

Hermione quietly went to work fixing the loving damage she had done to Harry, now thankful for these final few intimate minutes before she had to start sharing him with the world once again. The room was eerily silent save for the sound of her spell casting. Harry idly played with her hair as she worked, a small smile playing out on his face. It made it a bit harder for her to concentrate but she gave no thought to having him stop. She watched the last mark magically fade away and felt a profound sense of disappointment at being finished.

"Your turn," she said reluctantly before casting _Lumos _herself.

Harry cupped her face with his free hand and quietly muttered "you are so pretty" before setting to work. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, reveling in the moment. Harry's magic felt lovely. This was now her second favorite classroom.

Harry finished his work and they were ready to leave once again. She realized they needed to do some planning.

"We need to decide whether we let everyone else know about _us_," she began, silently cheering at there now being an _us_ to worry about.

"You want to keep our relationship a secret?" Harry asked, confusion and betrayal evident in his voice.

"No!" she replied forcefully…more forcefully than she'd intended.

Harry looked relieved before becoming more pensive. "Maybe we should though…for your safety."

"No," she once again replied. "I'm your best friend and a muggleborn. I'm already at risk…and any additional risk is worth it. I do think we should tell Ron and Ginny before going public, though."

Harry looked confused once again. "Ron I get, but what's Ginny got to do with it?" The boy was clueless.

"She has feelings for you, Harry," she answered bluntly. Despite the last few hours she was still a bit insecure at what Harry's reaction would be at the news.

Harry chuckled. "You said she gave up on me."

"She gave up on you being interested in her so she relaxed around you and started dating other people. That doesn't mean her feelings went away. Trust me. She is going to be upset."

"If you say so," Harry replied, disbelief evident in his voice. To her immense relief any interest in Ginny appeared to be long forgotten. "You can talk to Ginny and I'll talk to Ron after class tomorrow."

"Okay," she agreed, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room. "If all goes well we'll be shocking Hogwarts by breakfast on Tuesday," she continued as they approached the fat lady once again.

"Better?" she asked the portrait, stretching her neck to provide a better view.

"Much," the fat lady said approvingly. "And may I be the first to say you two make a lovely couple."

* * *

The next days worth of cl'asses passed by normally and uneventfully for the pair. She was already used to eating meals with and sitting next to Harry in any classes they shared so no radical changes in behavior were evident. She felt a bit annoyed at not getting to hold Harry's hand but she knew that problem would be remedied very soon.

"Well, I'm off. Wish me luck," Harry muttered as he stood to leave. Based on his expression it was clear he was not looking forward to his upcoming conversation with Ron. Hermione honestly wasn't sure how Ron would take it…her guess was probably not well. Regardless of any romantic feelings he may feel toward her she was fairly certain at the very least he would not be happy at now being the odd one out in the trio's dynamic.

She watched as Ginny subtly tracked Harry's exit from across the common room before returning to her schoolwork. Hermione quickly packed her own things and dropped them off in her room, wanting to get their uncomfortable conversation over with.

"Can I have a word, Ginny?" she asked as casually as possible.

"What is it?" Ginny asked, never looking up from her work.

"It's something I need to discuss with you privately," she replied.

Ginny's eyes shot to her in surprise, now suddenly alert. "Has something else happened?" she asked worriedly.

"It's not an emergency," Hermione quickly reassured. They'd all had enough anxiety over the last few days.

She watched as recognition seemed to bloom on Ginny's face and she silently mouthed "Harry?" as Dean remained unaware.

Hermione nodded in confirmation and felt even more uncomfortable. It was clear Ginny thought Harry needed her help and she was ready to spring into action on his behalf.

"I'll be back in a bit," Ginny assured Dean before standing. Hermione gestured toward the portrait hole and moved toward the exit at Ginny's nodding acknowledgment.

They had barely made it out the door before Ginny asked "What's going on?" She was clutching her wand firmly, seemingly prepared for anything.

"It's nothing like that," Hermione assured and Ginny visibly relaxed, "I just wanted to let you know something before everyone else found out…about Harry and me."

Ginny abruptly stopped walking and pinched her eyes closed. It was clear she had sorted out what Hermione was going to say and was doing her best not to react to the emotional sucker punch that had just been delivered. Hermione remained silent, uncomfortable and knowing there was nothing helpful that she could say. Saying she was sorry would be a lie and saying she felt bad sounded condescending and inappropriate.

"I'm happy for you, Hermione," Ginny spit out, doing her best but failing to sound cheerful, still standing dead still in the middle of the hallway. She stubbornly swiped at her eyes, banishing the tears that were breaking through her defenses.

"Ginny-"

"Thank you for letting me know," Ginny interrupted, her voice now wavering, before turning and quickly heading back through the portrait hole.

Hermione released the breath she wasn't aware she was holding. When she returned to the common room several minutes later Dean was sitting alone and Ginny was nowhere to be found. He shot her a curious glance, clearly wondering what Hermione had said to cause his girlfriend to flee to her room.

Between the misery she had just caused her friend and her nervousness in waiting on Harry's return she didn't feel up to resuming her schoolwork, opting instead to sit at their couch and mindlessly read a muggle novel. Crookshanks quickly joined her, presumably saving Harry's spot beside her for when he returned.

The novel was set aside after only a few minutes as she was unable to concentrate, her thoughts consumed with Harry and the changing dynamics of their group. She couldn't give two shits about the majority of the students reaction to her and Harry being together but Ginny and Ron were important…to both her and Harry. She once again thought about how awfully she had handled the situation with Ron and Lavender and hoped a similar scenario wasn't taking place in the hospital wing at the moment.

She was jostled out of her thoughts eventually as Harry picked up Crookshanks and dropped into the seat beside her. "Well that could have gone better", he cryptically commented as he began petting his kneazle companion.

"What happened?" she asked as she relaxed into his side and grabbed his hand.

"Well first he accused us of fooling around behind his back and having a laugh at his expense for the last two months. I laughed at him and that set him off even more," he said with a sigh as he began idly playing with her hair.

"Then what," she prompted.

Before he could reply they were interrupted.

"There you are, Potter," McLaggen abruptly interjected as he pulled up a chair and took a seat. He had several pieces of parchment in his hand that looked to Hermione like Quidditch formations. She could tell he noticed how companionably she and Harry were sitting but didn't comment. Apparently he had more important matters to discuss. She felt her blood pressure rising. Rapidly.

"I've been trying to track you down since Saturday. With Weasley out of commission I'm assuming you'll need me at Keeper and I've got a few ideas about-"

Cormac's speech came to an abrupt halt; most likely due to the fact that Hermione's wand was now pointed between his eyes.

"Go away," she instructed simply. In her periphery she could see that Crookshanks was now standing at attention, presumably ready to pounce at his master's instruction.

"Are you threatening-" was all he could manage to get out before Harry's wand was pointed at him as well.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor for failing to follow a prefect's instruction," she informed him dully, drawing a laugh from Harry.

"You aren't allowed to do that!" he complained indignantly.

"I've scheduled a practice for tomorrow night, Cormac. Now bugger off," Harry commanded.

"But we've got a match in-"

"Twenty more points from Gryffindor for not buggering off," Harry interrupted.

"You're not even a prefect!" McLaggen scoffed.

"What he said," Hermione replied.

"This is outrageous!" Cormac shot back angrily.

"Cormac, if you don't leave us alone I swear I'll start Hermione at Keeper on Saturday," Harry answered with forced calm.

"Fine!" he grumbled as he shot them his best glare before stalking away.

"I thought he'd never leave," Harry joked, causing her to let out a very undignified snort.

"You realize that McGonagall's going to ask me why I deducted forty points from Cormac and why twenty were related to him not buggering off," she informed lazily. She knew she should feel bad for abusing her position and deducting forty points from her own house but she didn't. Not in the slightest.

"That was a joke!" Harry protested, clearly enjoying the situation, "and Cormac's right. I'm not a prefect."

"Doesn't matter," she replied, "I confirmed them so they're in the book."

"Book?"

"There's a book in the headmaster's office that records all points that are awarded or deducted and the reasons why. He supposedly reviews it every night," she informed him.

"So you're saying that Dumbledore is going to see that you deducted points for someone not buggering off?" he asked. His enjoyment seemed to be growing at each revelation.

"You know I'm not sure how it will be listed," she answered honestly, "it may have your name listed, or maybe both our names."

"I hope it lists both our names. It was a team effort after all," he declared, giving her a gentle squeeze.

"You too, Crooks," she said affectionately, drawing a contented purr of acknowledgement.

They sat in companionable silence for several moments before Hermione got them back on track. "So, Ron…"

Harry heaved a sigh and ran his free hand through his hair, clearly bothered at being reminded of their conversation.

"After listening to him whinge and make up new reasons for being angry for fifteen minutes I told him the real reason he was upset is because he fancied you and he was jealous."

"Harry," she admonished.

"I know, I know," he replied, clearly frustrated at himself for losing his temper "After that he stopped talking and just sort of scowled. I eventually got sick of it and it was getting near curfew so I just left."

"He'll come around," she comforted.

"I know, but it doesn't make it right," Harry blurted in frustration. "How'd it go with Ginny?" he asked, clearly wanting a change in conversation.

"She said she was happy for me."

"See! I told you."

"She was lying, Harry. She could barely get the words out before she basically ran off to her room."

"Oh," Harry commented.

"I think she was thinking she'd have a chance with you eventually even if you dated someone else but since it's me you're involved with…" she continued before drifting off.

"She reckons you and I will go the distance?" he asked.

"Not the most romantic way of putting it but yes," she confirmed.

"I reckon she's right," Harry answered as he closed his eyes and relaxed into her.

She sat up a bit straighter and kissed him on the cheek before sinking back into his side and closing her eyes. She vaguely realized that their affectionate couch session that night was serving as their de facto announcement that they were indeed a couple. She couldn't have cared in the slightest.

"There is something I need to tell you though" she continued, doing her best to sound serious. "Something that may make you reconsider our relationship."

"Hmm?" Harry enquired, clearly intrigued.

"I'm really flattered by your offer but I'm not interested in playing Keeper."

* * *

The next day of classes had gone exactly as Hermione expected. She could feel the angry stares of countless girls boring into her throughout the day as she and Harry went about their day. But it didn't matter. Because Harry was beside her holding her hand as they walked, or resting a hand on her knee, or talking to her and distracting her from the idiots.

She normally would have accompanied him and sat in the stands during his Quidditch practice but she had other business to take care of that night. Long overdue business.

_Keep your head, Hermione_ she told herself as Ron spotted her arrival and immediately scowled.

"What do you want?" he asked brusquely. "Harry already gave me the good news." She felt no anger at his remarks…only regret for how she herself had acted. Only Harry and Ginny had the moral high ground with how they had handled heartbreak.

"I wanted to tell you I'm sorry…for the canaries. It was wrong and I should have apologized a long time ago," she answered calmly as she took a seat beside his bed.

"Very mature of you to apologize three months after the fact now that you're shagging Harry. I suppose this is sort of a victory lap for you," Ron spit back before rolling onto his side, effectively turning his back on her.

He was trying to be as cruel as possible to make her angry. _Old habits die hard_, she mused. She hadn't expected a kinder reception…but she had hoped.

At her prolonged silence Ron finally spoke again…now in a much less aggressive tone. Apparently her unwillingness to volley back with harsh words of her own had taken some of the wind out of his sails. "I get it, Hermione, you choose him."

"I don't think you do," she replied calmly, "I didn't choose Harry. I've actually been trying to fight against it the last few years. It didn't work."

She placed a compact mirror on Ron's bedside table and stood to leave. "I've left a mirror on the table for you. The mirror part isn't quite finalized yet but the bottom portion is working. Send a message when you're ready to have a real conversation, otherwise we will stay away."

* * *

Harry arrived back in the common room thirty minutes after her, still in full uniform. Based on his expression and the fact that he hadn't already showered and changed the practice had not gone well. At all.

"Fucking McLaggen," he muttered as he took a seat beside her.

"Language, Harry," she chided, "also, you stink."

"Fine," he mumbled as he stood, "I'll go take a shower. But then I'm going to need you to listen to me complaining for a bit."

"Looking forward to it," she encouraged as she pushed him toward his dormitory.

After Harry's departure the other members of the team began filing in, each one looking slightly more miserable than the last. Except for Cormac and Ginny, they both looked angry…very angry. She also noted that Ginny did not sit with Dean once she returned to the common room, opting instead to sit with a few of the girls in her year.

She was putting the finishing touches on her Transfiguration essay when Harry sat back beside her. Her heart warmed at the fact that he had sat beside her…not across as had been his normal habit…because she was his girlfriend now. Focusing on her studies was going to be infinitely more difficult going forward.

His hair was still slightly damp from his recent shower. She couldn't decide between casting a drying spell or running her hands through it. She realized half of the girls in the room were blatantly gawping at her slightly wet boyfriend and opted for the drying spell. After finishing she decided to run her hands through his hair anyway…to make sure she had finished the job of course. She smiled to herself as Harry made a humming sound of pleasure.

"Well it looks like you feel better and you definitely smell better. I've just finished my work so feel free to complain away," she ordered.

"Long story short, Cormac is a massive bell end," Harry began. "Instead of practicing his position he spent the entire time coaching everyone else…including me. Apparently I'm not a very good Captain. He had notes. Lots and lots of notes."

"I think you are a very good Captain," Hermione consoled.

"Says the person who turned down the Keeper position," Harry replied in false annoyance. "You could have been great you know…"

"Speaking of which," Harry continued. "I realized something while I was floating up there listening to Cormac drone on. You need to practice your flying."

"Absolutely not," Hermione shot back, "you know I hate flying!"

"Flying could save your life, Hermione. Not liking something isn't a good excuse not to learn it," Harry replied automatically. She wondered if he had been rehearsing it while he cleaned up.

"You're using my own words against me," she observed in annoyance.

'You noticed that did you?" he asked. He was entirely too pleased with himself. The worst part was he was right.

"Okay," she answered in defeat, "but you need to understand, Harry. I really do find it terrifying."

"I know," he comforted. "Don't worry, we'll take it slow. Just some nice laps near the ground until you get more comfortable. Then we can get you a bit higher and work on your speed and evasive maneuvers. Okay?"

Hermione fought the urge to sigh wistfully at Harry's earnest expression. Somehow he had done the impossible…she was actually looking forward to her flying lesson. She found herself unconsciously drifting forward to kiss Harry before she stopped herself. She would make sure to show her gratitude fully the next time they were alone.

"Okay," she mumbled, scooting her chair slightly so she could lean against him a bit. "How was Ginny?"

"Fine," Harry answered in confusion. "What did you expect?"

"She was really upset last night, Harry. I guess I was worried she'd be distracted," she replied.

"It was the exact opposite actually. She was really focused. I think it was a good excuse for her to burn some energy. When Cormac started critiquing her form she let him have it with both barrels. I would have felt bad if it had been anyone besides him. She and Dean broke up by the way…"

"Really?" Hermione replied, doing her best to mask her worry that Ginny had initiated the breakup and had set her sights on Harry.

"Yeah, Demelza said it was actually Dean who did it," Harry continued. "Apparently he realized her being upset last night and us now being a couple were related…said he didn't want to be a second choice for anyone. Their breakup is the second biggest bit of gossip for the Hogwarts rumor mill today. We're number one in case you were interested."

"I feel bad," Hermione replied sadly.

"From what Demelza said Ginny wasn't too broken up about it. She said that set Dean off even more. Demelza said it was just a matter of time before they split."

"You and Demelza seem to have become quite cozy," Hermione observed. "Should I be jealous?"

Harry chuckled. "We spent the last few minutes of practice talking while the rest of the team took over for me and had a go at Cormac. I think she'd been assigned to make sure I didn't join back in."

"Do you see what a good Captain you are?" Hermione complimented. That took teamwork!"

Harry chuckled before pulling out his own work. "So what have you been up to tonight?" he asked casually.

"I went to see Ron," she answered hesitantly.

"Oh boy," Harry muttered in concern. "Is the hospital wing still in one piece?"

"We didn't row," Hermione reassured. "He said a few things to try and upset me but I didn't take the bait."

Harry visibly tensed at her words and she quickly continued. "It's fine, Harry…he didn't mean it and it was nothing I couldn't handle. I told him we wouldn't be visiting him again until he reached out to us. I hope that's okay."

"Yeah, that's good," Harry replied, relaxing once again, "but he's stuck in the hospital wing. How is he going to let us know that he's pulled his head out of his ass?"

She pulled another mirror out of her bag and slid it in front of Harry. "I gave him his mirror and told him to send a message when he wanted to talk."

"You finished them?" he asked excitedly as he stowed his away.

"Not quite, only the messaging part works but that should be good enough for now."

"My beautiful, brilliant girlfriend," Harry beamed. "You wouldn't want to sneak out for a bit again tonight would you?"

She wanted nothing more than to say yes but her responsible side desperately fought for control. "We really shouldn't push it, Harry. Maybe in another day or so…"

Harry nodded his head in understanding. It was clear he hadn't expected her to go along with his plan. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. I should probably work on that essay for Transfiguration anyway."

"That isn't due until Friday," Hermione replied in confusion. "Don't you have other homework due sooner you need to work on?"

"I'm all caught up," Harry replied as he pulled out a quill and blank parchment. "I get a bit anxious these days if my assignments aren't finished. I think you are rubbing off on me."

Hermione had never been more attracted to Harry than she was at that moment. She grabbed his supplies and quickly shoved them back into his bag. "Let's go," she whispered huskily.

* * *

Ron finally contacted them Friday night…asking them to stop by the next morning before the Gryffindor Quidditch match. His official reason was to discuss and review the Hufflepuff Chaser's offensive formations but that was secondary…the important part was them having a conversation and not insulting each other. They didn't talk about Ron's harsh words or their relationship but that was okay. It had taken three months for her to apologize…Ron deserved more than a few days.

As she and Harry made their way to the pitch they spotted Draco walking in the opposite direction. It was odd enough that Draco wasn't planning on attending the match but the most peculiar part were his two companions. Instead of his normal contingent of Crabbe and Goyle he was accompanied by two Slytherin girls. As pretty as they were, their surly expressions and lumbering walks offset any natural attractiveness they possessed.

"Something is going on," Harry replied as he stopped walking. Apparently he'd noticed them as well. "Malfoy waited until everyone is at the match to work on his plan," Harry declared without an ounce of doubt.

She wasn't as positive as Harry but it did look suspicious…and she had promised Harry that she would help. She closed her eyes and took a breath, not quite believing what she was about to do.

"Where is your cloak and map?" she asked.

"Why?" he asked dumbly.

"You're going to go win your match and I'm going to find out what Draco is up to."

* * *

A/N: Suspense! That was the official end of the chapter. If you are interested in a slightly different and quite stupid alternative version of Harry and Demelza's conversation please see below. Is this thoroughly unnecessary passage the pinnacle of my writing career and quite possibly my life? Maybe.

"You and Demelza seem to have become quite cozy," Hermione observed. "Should I be jealous?"

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "She asked questions about us and I asked questions about Ginny and Dean. It was a mutually beneficial exchange of information."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "And what deep, dark secrets did you share about me?"

"Don't worry," Harry replied. "All I had to say was how amazing you were and Demelza sort of filled in the blanks from there. Most of the girls who weren't interested in me for themselves were rooting for you. They are quite passionate about it."

"You're joking," she protested.

"Ours is a love story years in the making if Demelza is to be believed," he answered casually.

"Well she's not wrong," Hermione mused.

We've even got a name."

"A name?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, a couple's name. They're calling us _Harmony_."

"What?!"

"It's a play on words, you see. They combined our names and we are apparently perfect for one another. So…you know…we're harmonious. Pretty clever if you ask me."

"If I'd ended up with Ginny we were going to be called Hinny," he said with a shudder. "Can you imagine? It sounds like a respiratory condition."

"Who is doing this?" Hermione asked desperately. She was a serious, responsible person. Her love life should not have a _name_.

"Everyone, apparently. Demelza says it's become quite popular," he replied casually. "Did you realize if we got married and you took my last name we'd have the same initials? Demelza thought that was very sweet.'

Hermione had been dreamily ruminating on that fact for years but she wasn't going to admit that to Harry. At her prolonged silence he continued on.

"By the way, which pet name do you prefer? Mione, Mi or Hermi? I'm partial to Mione although Mi could work as well because…you know…it sounds like My. But then I thought that would make you sound too much like a possession. I suggested Janey but Demelza didn't think it resonated enough."

"I don't want to be called any of those names," Hermione answered angrily.

"It's not that simple, Mione…it's bigger than us now. We've got our fans to consider."

"What are you talking about? And don't call me Mione!" she shouted.

"So…Mi then?"


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I try to keep my author's notes to a minimum but thought it was beyond time to acknowledge and thank you all for the follows, favorites and reviews. That's it. That's the note. Now on with the show…

**Chapter 12**

It had taken five minutes of rather passionate debate to convince Harry she would be safe going alone and another ten to retrieve the cloak and map from Harry's trunk but she was now on her way to investigate what Draco was up to.

As she exited the Gryffindor common room Hermione did her best to calm the nerves that had started to grow but it was a losing effort. Planning calmed her. Studying calmed her. Having the time and space to prepare for any and all potential outcomes calmed her. But those were not options this time…she had to think quickly and react and _move_…and she hated it.

She'd done it before and done it well in the past…saving Sirius and introducing Umbridge to her friend Grawp were the first examples that sprang to mind…but that was different. Harry had been there with her and she felt like she was capable of anything when Harry was with her. He made her better and she made him better…that was an indisputable fact at this point. The loss of his presence was profoundly felt as she activated the map herself for the first time.

She was grateful for the brief moment of levity as Messrs Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs commented on how much they'd been looking forward to Harry's uptight friend finally uttering the words _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good_. According to them she had now been thoroughly corrupted and if they were to be believed _Mrs. Prongs_ had also succumbed to the temptations of the map late in her sixth year as well.

A quick scan of the map showed that Draco was nowhere to be found but his two usual lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle, seemed to be pacing back and forth in a very familiar seventh floor hallway. The riddle of Draco's new traveling companions was now obvious: Polyjuice potion. The girls' seeming awkwardness within their own bodies was due to the fact that they weren't themselves. Literally.

She made her way to the seventh floor in a near sprint and did her best to quickly come up with a plan. It was clear that the two buffoons were serving as a lookout for Draco but as a prefect she couldn't just accuse or attack them without some sort of proof. According to Harry his accusations had fallen on deaf ears with the headmaster so she needed to provide as much tangible evidence as possible.

She'd promised Harry she would do her best to hide and keep herself out of harm's way but her best option was to get the oafs to incriminate themselves. Outwitting them would be an easy task and outduelling them if it escalated to that point seemed more than likely thanks to Harry's training.

As she approached the hallway where both boys were standing guard she paused and gathered herself…she needed to look relaxed and unaware if she was going to pull this off. She took a few calming breaths, stowed away the map and cloak, and resumed her walk.

Upon turning the corner she was immediately spotted by the pair, drawing instant reactions from both. One 'girl' dropped the scales she had been holding and began walking in the opposite direction while the other one quickly looked in every direction…not sure whether to flee or stand her ground. She silently exalted as the remaining girl did her best to calm herself and eventually decided to stand firm.

Hermione quickly cast _Accio_ and summoned the discarded scales before smiling kindly at the remaining girl. "Where is your friend going?" she asked. "She'll need these for potions."

"Um…she needed to use the loo," the girl replied gruffly. "I can make sure she gets those back."

Thanks to the student roster that all prefects had received at the beginning of term Hermione knew the girl in front of her was _supposed_ to be Meredith Blackpool. Despite her best efforts she couldn't recall what the girl's middle name was but she was betting that the oaf in front of her had no idea either. Time to find out.

"That's very kind of you…Meredith is it?" she asked as she handed the scales to the imposter and readied her wand in her other hand.

At the girl's uncomfortable nod she continued with the plan. "That's what I thought. I remembered your name because you have the same middle name as my Mum. It's Elizabeth, right?"

Her question was greeted by a much more muted and tentative nod. It was clear this person desperately wanted Hermione to go away and had no clue what Meredith's actual middle name was. She now had enough proof to take action.

"_Expelliarmus!"_ she said in a near shout, causing Meredith's wand to fly out of their hand. She had limited her wand flourishing as much as possible to make sure her aim was as precise and quick as possible, just as Harry had taught her.

"Meredith Blackpool's middle name isn't Elizabeth," she informed as she pointed the wand at the girl. "Who are you really and what are you doing?" she demanded, already knowing half the answer.

The look of abject fear and panic on the girl's face was immediate and Hermione stayed on guard, ready to unleash a stunning spell if she tried to run away like her friend. Without warning she saw a flash of red narrowly miss hitting her. Apparently the other crony had not fled, only hid. Hermione cursed her carelessness as she ducked away from the attack.

'Meredith' seized on the distraction and started running. Unfortunately instead of running away the girl started sprinting directly toward her, emboldened by their nearby ally's presence.

"_Stupefy"!_ she incanted desperately just as the girl reached her, knocking them both to the ground as the spell landed and knocked the girl unconscious. She heard and more distressingly felt the crack of several of her ribs as the girl fell forcefully on top of her. She would deal with the pain later…there was someone else out there to deal with before she could relax. Her plan had gone a bit sideways but she had one of them unconscious and at wandpoint now…Draco could still be properly dealt with if she could summon one of the professors.

Hermione pushed her wand into the side of the now unconscious girl and cast _Incarcerou_s. With the faux Meredith dealt with and now providing a convenient human shield it was time to eliminate or scare off the other threat. "Your friend is bound and unconscious," she stated as loudly as possible, doing her best to sound as confident as she could manage, "you can't save them. Come out now or your punishment is only going to grow."

After several moments of silence Hermione gingerly removed the map from her pocket with her free hand, never taking the wand away from Meredith's side. A quick glance showed that the other girl, Gregory Goyle, was now fleeing back to Slytherin house. She breathed a sigh of relief as she pushed Meredith, no, Vincent Crabbe, off of her and propped him against a nearby wall.

She caught a breath at the sharp pains that shot through her body with every movement. Crabbe's blunt attack had definitely broken at least a couple ribs. She shuddered to think of the damage he would have done had he been in his own massive body. A quick _Episkey_ helped mitigate some of the pain but she knew proper treatment was necessary.

She quickly ran through her options. She was fairly certain she would be able to levitate Crabbe to the hospital wing where she could receive treatment and have multiple witnesses to Crabbe's transformation when the polyjuice potion wore off. But to do so would allow Malfoy the ability to escape from the room. As long as she stood guard in the hallway he was trapped.

Her next thought was to stay put, monitor the map against any threats and wait for someone else to stumble upon her in the hallway so they could get help. She then realized why Malfoy had picked this moment to work on his plan…the castle was virtually empty thanks to the Quidditch match going on. It was crucial that she had witnesses to Crabbe transforming back to his own body so she couldn't afford to be patient. And Goyle could return with more allies while she waited…more than she would be able to handle.

And then it struck her. She had an ally who could send help to her. She only hoped he was awake and had his mirror close.

_Ron, I need your help immediately. Please respond to this message._

Her heart surged as she felt her mirror warm with his response.

_Are you at the match? What's going on?_

Hermione forced herself to calm down and _think_. They had one chance at this and needed to get it right. She quickly came up with a plan and tapped back her instructions.

_Send Madam Pomfrey to the Room of Requirement entrance immediately. I'll explain everything later but I need you to send her NOW._

After several minutes that felt like hours she received Ron's reply.

_She's on her way. She didn't believe me until I showed her your message. Are you okay?_

She allowed herself a moment of relief, slumping back against the wall. The cavalry was coming. She placed the map in her lap so she should track whether Goyle came back with reinforcements and angled herself purposely to be in the eyeline of the Room's entrance should Draco appear. Once she was in place she tapped out one final message.

_Harry was right about Draco. I'll explain everything later but I can't talk now._

As the minutes passed the aching in her ribs unsurprisingly returned. _Episkey _was a basic healing spell and was bound to wear off sooner rather than later. She made a mental note to research more detailed medical spells for future reference.

After a few minutes a frantic Madam Pomfrey appeared and all the remaining tension Hermione felt fled.

"What is going on?" Pomfrey asked urgently as she gazed at the stunned and bound Slytherin beside her.

"He is fine" Hermione groaned, "only stunned. I think I've got a few broken ribs though from when he fell on me."

The matron kneeled down and waved her wand in front of her, a few disapproving mumbles escaping her lips as she assessed the damage. "Stay still," she commanded, "this will hurt for a moment but should do the trick."

The promised sharp stab of pain was fleeting and quickly faded away. Hermione poked her own ribcage and realized they were now blessedly free of pain. She definitely needed to expand her healing knowledge beyond _Episkey_.

"Better?" Pomfrey asked. At Hermione's nod of acknowledgement she continued. "Now would you care to explain why Miss Blackpool is unconscious and bound and why you referred to her as _he_?"

"It isn't Meredith Blackpool," Hermione continued, "it's Vincent Crabbe under polyjuice." Hermione ignored Madame Pomfrey's look of stunned indignation and continued on with her planned speech.

"He and Gregory Goyle were both under polyjuice. Goyle ran away but Mr. Crabbe attacked me once I realized what was going on. I stunned him and he fell on top of me. That's how I was injured."

"That is quite an accusation, Miss Granger," Madam Pomfrey replied once she'd regained her senses.

"I suppose we'll have proof in a few minutes," Hermione responded. "I would suggest you contact the headmaster.

"Very well," Pomfrey conceded as she began levitating Crabbe. "Let's head back to the hospital wing and we can summon the headmaster from there."

"No!" Hermione replied. "He needs to come here. Please."

The matriarch looked very skeptical as she assessed the situation before, inexplicably, lowering Crabbe and muttering _Expecto Patronum. _Hermione watched as Madam Pomfrey whispered something to her Bear patronus before it quickly scurried away.

"What did you just do?" she asked.

"The headmaster is at the match. I've just sent him a message."

"With your patronus?" Hermione asked dumbly.

"Just something Professor Dumbledore came up with a few years back," Madame Pomfrey supplied as she began to examine Meredith, making a 'tsking' sound once she was finished. Hermione idly wondered why the headmaster hadn't shared that particular use of _Expecto Patronum_ with Harry.

"I do believe you are on to something, Miss Granger. Something is slightly 'off' about Miss Blackpool's readings."

As if on cue Meredith slowly transformed back to Vincent Crabbe, the clothes of the much more petite fifth year now straining to contain the much larger boy. Madam Pomfrey remained silent, simply shaking her head in annoyance.

A few minutes later the headmaster came into view, flanked by Professors Snape and Sprout. While Professor Sprout looked surprised at the scene in front of her and Snape looked to be barely containing his fury the headmaster remained calm.

"Miss Granger caught two students using polyjuice, Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey began. "Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle. Mr. Goyle ran off according to Miss Granger but I personally witnessed Mr. Crabbe transforming back into his own body a few minutes ago."

"I believe they were acting as lookouts for Draco Malfoy while he used the Room of Requirement," Hermione interjected. "When they spotted me Goyle dropped the scales he was holding. I think it was a warning to Draco not to come out."

It was subtle but Hermione noticed Snape visibly tense at her words. Harry was right. He knew. She seethed.

"Mr. Crabbe is unharmed Poppy?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly.

"Besides the uncomfortably tight clothes, yes. It appears Miss Granger merely stunned him and then helpfully broke his fall with her body…no damage done," she informed.

Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgement before whispering something to Snape, prompting the Slytherin head of house to begin levitating Crabbe away. The headmaster raised his hands to stop Hermione's protests.

"Professor Snape is returning to Slytherin and will be questioning Mr. Goyle and Mr. Crabbe. While he does that I would very much like to review your memory of the events in my pensieve."

"What about Draco?" she asked. "He's still in the room."

"Are you certain of that Miss Granger?" he asked her pleasantly. He was talking down to her and it set her nerves on edge.

"No sir, but it is a logical assumption," she replied, forcing herself to stay calm at the headmaster's condescension. "Harry and I spotted Draco walking with two Slytherin fifth year girls earlier…one of which appeared to be Meredith Blackpool. I caught up with the girls here while Harry went on to his match. There had to be a reason for them to be using polyjuice and the fact that they were standing in front of the Room's entrance makes it obvious to me what is going on."

Her response seemed to throw the headmaster off a bit. Apparently she had more proof than he had expected and he now seemed disconcerted. What was going on?

She watched as the headmaster muttered something to a nearby portrait before turning toward Professor Sprout.

"Pomona, would you mind keeping watch for Mr. Malfoy while Miss Granger and I return to my office? If he appears please escort him to my office."

"But-"

"It will be fine, Miss Granger," Sprout reassured. "I will wait for Mr. Malfoy. The sooner the headmaster can view your memory the sooner we can get to the bottom of the situation."

She felt a strong desire to inform the Hufflepuff head of house that she and Harry had already gotten to the bottom of the situation but bit back on the urge and wordlessly nodded her agreement before following the headmaster toward his office. Once he saw the memory confirming everything she had said he would be forced to take serious action.

* * *

As fascinating as her first experience using a pensieve had been her intellectual curiosity was squelched by the annoyance she was now feeling as she listened to Dumbledore's equivocating. She had intentionally let him see it all…everything that had happened from the moment she and Harry had spotted the trio and she had volunteered for duty. She wanted to ensure there could be no ambiguities or doubt about what had been happening so the parties involved would be punished accordingly.

But now he was talking about not having any actual proof of wrongdoing beyond some unauthorized potion taking and hinting at minor punishments. Students' lives were at risk and he was talking about meaningless detentions and point deductions. Apparently the headmaster had noticed her discomfort as well.

"You seem to have something you would like to say, Miss Granger."

"Two students have almost died this year, Headmaster," she blurted. "Harry has been telling you for months that Draco may be behind these attacks and I've just provided you tangible proof that Harry was right to be suspicious of Draco. At the very least you have enough proof to expel Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe but it sounds like you are looking for any reason not to do so."

"How can I tie Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle's actions to those instances, Miss Granger?" he replied calmly. "As I recall you had to spend a week in the hospital wing due to an accident with polyjuice potion a few years ago. Should you have been expelled?"

Hermione's blood boiled. "So you are comparing my actions at the time to Draco Malfoy?" she asked indignantly. Her voice was much louder than she had intended.

"Miss Granger," he said in a placating voice in an effort to calm her. His condescension only served to anger her more.

"Do you know what Draco said when the first message about the Chamber of Secrets appeared?" she asked as calmly as she could manage. "_You're next mudbloods. _Those were his exact words. He was excited at the prospect of muggleborns being murdered. Is that who you are comparing me to?"

"Draco Malfoy was twelve years old when he said that and they were just words…the words of a boy," Dumbledore countered. "I can't punish him now based on something he said four years ago. People can grow and mature beyond their childish beliefs."

She had heard enough. Dumbledore was one of the smartest and most intuitive people she had ever known and he was willfully ignoring facts and didn't trust her or Harry with the truth of the situation. After everything Harry had been through…everything that he had accomplished…it was infuriating. She couldn't hold her tongue. "From what I've seen Draco has only become more awful since then. And you don't seem to care."

For the first time since they had begun their discussion she saw a flash of emotion on the headmaster's face.

They were interrupted as a nearby portrait joined the conversation. "Professor Sprout is on her way with Mr. Malfoy, Albus. They should be here in a few minutes."

He nodded in acknowledgement at the portrait as he composed himself and stood. "I thank you for your efforts today, Miss Granger. I will take it from here," he informed as he gestured for her to leave. She was being dismissed but she wasn't done having her say.

"What are you going to do?" she asked angrily. Part of her could not believe she was talking to the headmaster this way and the other part couldn't believe it had taken this long for her to demand actual answers from the man.

"As I said, I will investigate the matter and assign punishments accordingly based on the evidence I have. I must ask that you trust me," he said kindly.

All the mistakes and things the headmaster had purposely or inadvertently missed over the years hit Hermione in a rush and she couldn't hold her tongue.

"You asked Ron and me to trust you last year and we listened. It was a disaster," she continued, not wanting to let him off the hook.

It was if she had struck Dumbledore with a physical blow as his face fell and he sagged back into his chair. "You are right….I made many errors in judgment last term. I can only tell you what I have told Harry. I am truly sorry for my part in what happened to Sirius and what I needlessly put Harry through. But the past is the past…we need to move on…that is all any of us can do."

"That isn't all you can do!" she countered. "Harry feels so guilty about last year but he is actually trying to be better. You're just sitting back and repeating the same mistakes all over again! You aren't stupid…you know Draco is up to something and I've just given you more proof! Why aren't you doing anything?"

The silence grew as Dumbledore refused to respond and Hermione realized what needed to be done. It was a bit mind boggling how quickly things had escalated but her path forward and who deserved her trust and loyalty was clear. She needed to stop wasting time focusing on pointless things and putting her blind faith in people that refused to act. She carefully unpinned the prefect badge from her chest and placed it on the headmaster's desk.

"Miss Granger-"

"Do I need to inform Professor McGonagall that I have resigned?" she interrupted. She was done wasting time on being polite and respectful.

"I will inform her of your decision," Dumbledore replied. He sounded so tired.

As she started to descend the steps she was stopped by the headmaster. "What are you going to do, Miss Granger?"

She wanted to tell him that she was going to apologize to Harry and admit that she had been wrong. That she now realized that the headmaster may not necessarily have their best interests at heart and he couldn't be relied on to protect them. But she wanted to talk to Harry before they shared anything else with the man.

"That's none of your business, sir," she replied before quickly exiting the room.

* * *

As she reached the bottom of the steps she spotted Professor Sprout escorting a panicked and angry Draco Malfoy down the hall. Her first instinct was to walk the other way and avoid a confrontation but changed her mind. Sitting back and avoiding conflict hadn't worked and she was tired of it. Harry would never have turned the other way.

Draco spotted her as she came closer and stared…doing his best to convey his anger. She stared right back.

"We'll stop you," she hissed as she passed the pair, drawing a curious stare from Professor Sprout.

Once she was out of eyeshot she reached into her pocket for the map, wanting to track Harry down as quickly as possible. Her hand brushed against her mirror and realized it had warmed with a message. It was from Ron.

_Where are you and what is going on?_

She quickly tapped back a response.

_I will explain everything as soon as I can but I need to find Harry first._

As she moved to stow the mirror away it annoyingly warmed once again. Ron's insistence on knowing what was happening was understandable but ill timed. She needed to find Harry.

She was all set to forcefully repeat to Ron that her explanation would have to wait before gasping at his reply.

_Harry is in the bed next to me._


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"You did what?!" Ron exclaimed louder than he had intended, drawing a glare from Madam Pomfrey. For the most part he had remained quiet as she had recounted her active and bizarre afternoon but her last proclamation had truly shocked him.

Hermione glanced at Harry and saw that he was still sleeping peacefully despite Ron's outburst…still unconscious and healing from McLaggen's idiocy on the Quidditch pitch.

"I resigned as prefect," she repeated, still not quite believing the words that were coming out of her own mouth. "Harry was right. Dumbledore and Snape are protecting Draco. The headmaster kept trying to talk his way out of looking into whatever Draco was up to and I just couldn't take it any more…" she explained before drifting off, unable to form the proper words to convey the disappointment she felt regarding the man.

They sat in silence for several minutes as Ron absorbed everything that had happened. "What are you going to do now?" he finally asked.

"Help Harry," she answered immediately. "Help Harry and stop Draco from whatever he is plotting."

Ron nodded and bowed his head. "You've really put me in a bind here," he commented with a rueful smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Can you imagine the howler I'd get from Mum if I resigned my position?" he asked, horror evident on his face. "I mean…in what universe does it make sense that I'm the prefect out of the three of us?"

Despite everything that had happened that day Hermione snorted at the absurdity of it all. "I'm sorry, Ron," she replied, meaning it on several levels.

"S'all right," he mumbled, "I reckon you've been the responsible one for over five years now…I can handle it for at least a few months."

"It's weird," he continued, "I could hear Luna commenting on the match and was a bit happy about how bad it was going for Gryffindor if I'm being honest…about Cormac being such a mess as my replacement…but then Harry got hurt because of it and then I hear about everything you were going through while I was lying here enjoying myself…"

"You didn't know," she consoled.

"Yeah, but that's not really the point is it? With everything going on…everything we are dealing with…worrying about my spot seems a bit stupid," he commented absently.

"A bit," she muttered as she glanced at Harry once again. She knew that he needed to sleep to help with his recuperation but she desperately wanted to talk to him. She needed a change in topic. "What's going on with you and Lavender anyway?"

"We're still together if that's what you're asking," Ron answered, "at least I think we are.

After she made sure I was okay the other day she read me the riot act…said that I needed to decide if I was just in it for a bit of fun or I really cared about her."

"And?" she prompted.

"She stormed out before I could give a proper answer and hasn't been back since!" Ron replied in frustration. "I want to tell her that I've missed her but she's never bloody returned."

"If only she had some sort of device that would allow you to communicate with her," Hermione answered.

To his credit Ron looked properly ashamed. "Yeah…she told me she found out the truth about the mirrors. I panicked…it was stupid…"

"I can enchant her mirror to work with yours if you'd like. It would only take a few minutes," she offered.

"Yeah….yeah…that would be good. And I'm sorry…about what I said about you and Harry the other day…it's none of my business," he continued awkwardly.

She nodded her head in thanks and looked at Harry once again, losing herself in the peaceful rise and fall of his chest. He was so beautiful…

"Could you stop looking at Harry that way please? I've just had lunch," Ron commented.

As much as he tried to sound relaxed and unaffected she could sense a bit of discomfort as he said the words. She was grateful for the effort on Ron's part to move past his jealousies and suspected the events of the last few hours had contributed a bit to his newfound maturity. It was a good thing because she had no intention of hiding her affection towards Harry for his benefit. Besides, he was a massive hypocrite.

"As if we haven't had to watch you trying to inhale Lavender's face for the last few months," she laughed, punching him on the shoulder.

"Oi! I'm an injured man here…laid up in the hospital wing and everything," he protested.

"The last time I checked your shoulder wasn't poisoned," she countered as she playfully punched him again. It was nice having a bit of levity amongst all the awfulness that surrounded them.

"Hermione?" she heard Harry softly groan and quickly moved to his bedside.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she brushed back his hair and placed a kiss on his forehead, desperately fighting the urge to climb into the bed beside him.

"You're okay," he mumbled with a weary smile. "I was worried."

"Wait until you hear what she's been up to, mate," Ron interjected.

* * *

After the requisite examination and fussing by Madam Pomfrey once she realized Harry had regained consciousness Hermione recounted the events of the day once again. She watched as Harry's anger seemed to grow until it morphed to shock when she informed him of her resignation as prefect.

"You didn't need to do that, Hermione," he answered somberly.

"Yes I did," she answered immediately. "The more I think about it it's obvious Draco resigned from the Quidditch team and his prefect position so he'd have more time and flexibility to work on his plan. If the headmaster is going to let him get away with it than we need to fight fire with fire."

He nodded his head and reached for her hand. "Fight fire with fire…I like it."

"We lost by the way," Ron interjected.

"What?" the pair replied in unison.

"You know…the match where your own teammate sent a bludger at your head and cracked your skull? We lost 300 to 260."

"Oh," Harry replied casually.

"Who are you and what have you done with Harry Potter?" Hermione asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked in confusion.

"I'd never thought you would care so little about losing a match," she joked. "Especially considering it was due to one of your own teammate's idiocy. I'm going to throttle McLaggen."

"Yeah, well considering I just decided I'd be resigning from the team it shouldn't be too shocking."

"What?" Hermione and Ron replied in unison.

"I'm resigning," he repeated.

"Harry," she replied softly. "You really don't need to do that. We can work around-"

"Yes I do. Just like you had to resign as prefect," he replied firmly before glancing at Ron.

"I'm going to cast _Muffliato_ so I can talk to Hermione in private, Ron," he informed.

Ron pantomimed that he was going to throw up as Harry cast the privacy charm and pulled her closer.

"I was probably going to do it anyway…you just made the choice obvious," he said quietly as he pulled her into a hug and sighed. She nestled into the small of his shoulder as he continued speaking softly in her ear.

"I've had a professor jinx my broom, a bludger cursed to injure me and a flock of dementors set on me during matches. All I thought about when those things happened was catching the snitch. Today all I could think about was you." She'd closed her eyes but she could feel him playing with her hair.

"I would have been ecstatic if Thornburg had caught the snitch today because it would have meant the match was over. I love Quidditch but it's not even in the same universe as how I feel about you.

It's weird saying these things out loud to you now instead of just thinking them," he confessed.

She chuckled and buried herself a bit further into his side, feeling the tension that had been building throughout the day instantly recede. "You're much better at convincing me of things now that you're my boyfriend," she replied affectionately.

He laughed in reply. "I've been trying to think more like you lately. I guess it's working."

He gave her a gentle squeeze and continued. "We fight fire with fire and we do it together. Okay?"

She nodded into his shoulder. "Okay."

"And besides, I'll still get to fly when I put you through your paces," he joked.

"Way to spoil the mood, Potter," she grumbled, not meaning a word of it.

After several more minutes/lifetimes Ron spoke up.

"Since you haven't said anything for the last fifteen minutes could you remove the charm?" he asked in annoyance.

Hermione reluctantly rose from her favorite position as Harry cancelled the spell and shot Ron her best mock glare.

"I'm sorry to interrupt what I'm sure was a very tender moment but it's time for supper and Madam Pomfrey wanted to know if you'd be eating with us in the hospital wing, Hermione. I reckoned you'd rather have me interrupt than her."

"Oh, yes," Hermione answered with a hint of embarrassment. She hadn't even realized Madam Pomfrey had stopped by while she 'talked' with Harry.

"Excellent," Ron replied before yelling "SHE WANTS TO EAT HERE" much louder than necessary, drawing a scowl from the matron. He leaned forward and continued speaking in a hush.

"I reckon the more I annoy her by being loud and boorish the more likely she is to let me out of here soon." He seemed to be very proud of his strategy.

"Playing to your strengths…that's smart," Harry replied.

"Right," Ron continued as he gave Harry a two finger salute, "what's the plan?"

"I've got no idea," she replied as an elf helpfully popped in with supper. "It's clear we can't rely on the staff to stop Draco from doing whatever he is doing in the Room of Requirement so we'll have to do it ourselves. The question is how…"

"It's obvious isn't it?" Ron interjected. "If we just camp out in the room he won't be able to get in. Simple."

"That's a great idea but there are those pesky things like classes and curfew that will make that a bit difficult," she answered.

"I've got an idea for after curfew," Harry replied before calling out "Dobby!"

At once the elf appeared, his eyes boggling in worry. "The great Harry Potter is injured!" he wept before leaping on him in a hug. Hermione felt a bit uncomfortable as she realized the elf was quite accurately replicating her position from a few minutes ago.

"It's fine, Dobby," Harry consoled as he patted the elf's back, "nothing Madam Pomfrey couldn't fix. I was actually hoping you could help me with something."

Instantly the elf stood at attention, anxious to hear what Harry needed.

"I was wondering what hours you work each day and what time you have off."

"Dobby negotiated with the headmaster that he would only work from six in the morning until eight at night!" The elf looked very proud of himself. Hermione did her best not to start shouting in outraged indignation at his ridiculous schedule.

"What do you do when you aren't working?" Harry continued.

"Dobby volunteers to help the other elves for four more hours unless he is feeling tired. Then Dobby only volunteers for three more hours. Dobby then sleeps before volunteering for an hour in the morning before starting to work."

Hermione pinched her eyes closed in frustration as she heard Ron chuckling in the periphery.

"So if I needed you to do something for me from eight at night until six in the morning you could do that?" Harry asked, drawing a furious nod from the elf.

"What night would Harry Potter need Dobby to help him?" the elf asked. His excitement was palpable.

"Err…every night…starting tonight if you can," Harry replied.

It was as if the elf had been waiting his entire life for such a request from Harry. "Dobby- would be- most honored- to serve- the great- Harry Potter-" he managed to spit out between his sobs.

"No more crying, Dobby," Harry interrupted firmly. "If you are going to help you need to compose yourself." It was clear Harry's weekly discussions with Kreacher were paying off.

Dobby stopped crying instantly and once again stood at attention. "What does Harry Potter require of Dobby?" he asked.

"We need you to stay in the Room of Requirement," Harry informed.

Dobby waited, expecting further instructions.

"Uhh…that's it," Harry concluded awkwardly, drawing a confused stare from the elf.

Hermione rolled her eyes…apparently there was still room for improvement with Harry's elf handling skills. She leaned down and put a hand on the elf's shoulder, drawing his attention.

"There is a bad wizard in the castle…your former master Draco Malfoy. He is planning something dangerous in the Room of Requirement and we need to prevent him from being able to work on his plan. We need you to stay in the room overnight so he won't be able to enter."

The elf looked slightly disappointed at the underwhelming and seemingly easy request but quickly nodded in agreement. "Dobby will start tonight. And if the great Harry Potter needs Dobby to do anything else while he is in the room…anything at all…Dobby will gladly help."

"Thanks Dobby," Harry replied before pausing in thought. "Could you ask the other elves to keep an eye on Draco as well and to let you know if he does anything suspicious?" he finished.

"Hogwarts house elves will only perform tasks on behalf of the school," the elf informed. "What should Dobby tell them to get their help?"

"You tell them the truth," Hermione interjected, now seeing their path forward. "That Draco and the students working with him are a threat to the school."

"You just want to broadcast what we are doing like that?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Harry jumped back in. He'd cottoned onto her idea and now looked as confident and determined as she now felt. "Tell anyone who will listen what you are doing and why."

She had been worried that Harry wouldn't have wanted to go against the headmaster but she knew it was her own insecurities talking. She and Ron…Ginny, Neville and Luna, that's where his loyalties and more importantly his trust lied.

"So we've got the nights sorted," Ron stated after Dobby popped away, "how do we handle the other fourteen hours?"

"I've got an idea," Hermione replied, excited and a bit shocked by what she was about to propose.

* * *

Hogwarts students were allowed to begin roaming the halls at six in the morning and that was precisely the time Hermione exited the common room and set out for the seventh floor. She'd had to wake up thirty minutes earlier than normal and she didn't spend the now standard additional time taming her hair but that was fine. She was most likely not going to see Harry that day and his was the only opinion that mattered at this point.

She had considered leaving a few minutes earlier so she could take over the watch immediately when Dobby had to report for duty at six but thought better of it. It was easy enough to use the map to ensure Draco was still safely tucked into his bed and arrive at her destination at a quarter past instead. Besides, she was most likely going to be breaking many rules over the next few months…it would be best to avoid doing so when she could avoid it. Unless Harry asked her to do so of course. With what they had planned she was going to need as many nights off as possible to relieve the stress.

Once she reached her destination she pulled out the miniaturized chair and desk, expanded them to full size, and pulled out her bag of 'galleons'. If everything worked out as she hoped they were going to need a lot more communication coins.

Despite a few curious onlookers that passed by as she worked and a visit from Dobby delivering a light breakfast her morning was relatively uninterrupted. When the alarm on her watch chimed at five to ten she stowed her materials away and waited on the anticipated arrival of her head of house.

As expected Professor McGonagall came into view right on time, a mix of concern and disappointment on her face. Apparently Dobby had successfully relayed the message that a change in venue would be needed for the requested meeting. She quickly conjured her own chair and began speaking.

"When I asked Miss Matthews to relay my request I was hoping to speak to you in my office, Miss Granger," she began. "I'm not sure such a public place is appropriate-"

"That wasn't feasible, professor," Hermione interrupted, "I need to prevent Draco Malfoy from working on whatever he is planning since the staff isn't interested in stopping him." She wasn't sure who was more shocked by her boldness.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall spoke in a tone remarkably similar to the Headmaster's condescension from the prior day, "I realize you are worried and upset but this isn't the way."

"Am I breaking a rule?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She had double checked the school rules and regulations to confirm there were no specific edicts prohibiting sitting in a hallway. Besides, students camped out in hallways all the time between classes and it had never been a problem. Even Umbridge hadn't prevented it during her brief draconian tenure overseeing the school. The rule breaking would start in full force tomorrow but McGonagall didn't need to know that.

The deputy headmistress shook her head in disappointment before continuing. "You know as well I as I do the answer to that question so we will do this your way, Miss Granger. Now that you've had a few additional hours to process and think on your decision I'm hoping you've reconsidered your resignation."

She wanted to reply that the hours of contemplation had only reinforced the decision in her mind but she held her tongue. The trio had decided that it was important that they didn't speak out in anger or volunteer any more information than what was needed to the staff. She stuck to the plan.

"What were the punishments for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle?" she asked unceremoniously.

"Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle will be serving detentions three nights a week for the remainder of term and have each lost one hundred points."

"And Draco?" she prompted.

McGonagall pursed her lips in discomfort before answering. It was clear she did not agree with the headmaster's decision. "With the exception of classes and meals Mr. Malfoy is restricted to Slytherin house."

"That's it?" Hermione blurted.

"Mr. Malfoy said he was studying the enchantments of the room for academic purposes. Without any proof of wrongdoing there was nothing more the headmaster could do."

"And how did they explain Crabbe and Goyle using polyjuice?" she continued.

She didn't think it was possible but McGonagall's look of annoyance grew. "Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle said they were experimenting with the potion and it was purely coincidental that they were on the seventh floor hallway when Mr. Malfoy was in the room."

Hermione desperately pushed back on the urge to scream at her professor. It wouldn't do any good and she had a few more questions to ask.

"Why didn't you or the headmaster tell any of us that messages could be sent using a Patronus?" she asked.

It was clear that Hermione's reserved tone and the change in subject had taken McGonagall off guard. She ploughed on.

"Many of us can manage a corporeal patronus now thanks to Harry. With the dangers we are facing why didn't anyone think that would be a useful thing for us to know?"

"I wasn't aware Mr. Potter had taught you the charm and I assumed the headmaster had shared the information with him. Clearly I was incorrect."

"Would you teach me?" she asked quickly.

"I will check with…," the deputy headmistress began before pausing, apparently reconsidering her answer. "Yes, of course."

"Thank you," Hermione replied honestly. She decided to push her luck and get an answer for something that had niggled at her brain since last year.

"Why wasn't Harry asked to be a prefect?"

She'd taken the professor off guard once again. "Has Mr. Weasley been shirking his duties?" she asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"No, it's nothing like that," Hermione reassured honestly. "Ron has been fine but it was obvious to everyone that Harry was more deserving. He's done more for the school, his grades are better, and Ron has broken just as many rules as Harry over the years."

The silence dragged on as it appeared the deputy headmistress was considering what she could and should say.

"Mr. Potter was my first choice for the position but the headmaster thought he already had enough on his plate and it wouldn't be fair to burden him with the additional responsibility," McGonagall finally replied.

"What did Harry think?" Hermione asked, her annoyance growing as she thought about the myriad missteps of the prior term.

"I don't believe Mr. Potter was consulted for his thoughts on the matter," McGonagall said in a clipped tone, now clearly uncomfortable at the verbal dressing down she was receiving. Hermione decided she had pressed her far enough.

"I'm sorry professor but I won't be changing my mind. I also need to relay a message to you," she informed.

"Go on," McGonagall commanded tiredly.

"Harry would like you to stop by the hospital wing today if possible. He and Ron have something to talk to you about."

"Is it safe to say I won't be happy after my meeting with Potter and Weasley?"

"Probably not," Hermione answered. Finding out that the captain and keeper of the Gryffindor squad were both resigning from the team would definitely dampen her mood further. She'd let them deliver that particular bit of bad news themselves, however.

"Very well," she replied as she stood and banished her chair. "I will teach you the messaging spell before I pay them a visit. You can then use it to inform them that I am on my way."

"Thank you, professor," Hermione replied honestly. "I'm sorry it has come to this…"

"As am I, Miss Granger…as am I…"

* * *

She was initially surprised at the low turnout for her impromptu meeting before realizing it made sense. Most of Dumbledore's Army had most likely stowed away their coins and didn't get the message on such short notice. The room had helpfully supplied a multitude of chairs but only three were necessary. She decided it was only right that these three were the first to know of their plan.

"It looks like it's just us so I suppose we can get started," she began. "There have been a few developments over the last couple of days and we need to get the group together and hopefully expand on it a bit."

"What's going on?" Neville asked seriously. It was clear he was ready to do whatever was necessary.

"It's going to be a bit boring," she warned. "And you are most likely going to get a few detentions out of it if you agree to help…not to mention your housemates being furious for the points you are going to lose…"

Neville appeared unfazed by her warning while Ginny looked intrigued. Luna, as always, wore a pleasant smile, patiently waiting for her to continue.

As she recounted what had happened and what they were planning she was struck again by their varied reactions. Neville listened intently and unemotionally while Ginny's anger spiked when she relayed what happened during her meeting with Dumbledore. Luna's smile remained steady throughout, growing when Hermione explained her plan to have groups of students sitting outside the Room of Requirement at all times to prevent Draco entering.

"Having other people to talk to will be nice," the Ravenclaw exclaimed dreamily. "When do we start?"

"Yeah, when do we start?" Neville repeated.

"I've actually already started," Hermione explained. "I planned on staying here all day today. We've got a house elf who will be taking over each evening at eight. I was actually hoping for a better turnout so we could have more volunteers and start setting up a schedule…"

"We can take care of that," Neville volunteered. "I'll talk to the Gryffindors, Luna can talk to the Ravenclaws, and I can let Hannah and Sue know what's going on so they can talk to the Puffs. What do you reckon…fourth years and up?"

"We can have another meeting tomorrow night after everyone knows," Ginny interjected, drawing a happy nod from Luna.

"We need another name though," Ginny continued, the annoyance clear in her voice. "Dumbledore's Army doesn't seem to fit anymore."

"I've had a thought on that," Hermione continued. "I thought we could call ourselves the _Hogwarts Advanced Guard_."

"HAG?" Ginny said disbelievingly, drawing a chuckle from Neville.

"Not _HAG_,' Hermione protested, "the Hogwarts Advanced Guard."

"Yeah, I'm with Ginny. That's an awful name," Neville replied

"Hag," Luna repeated dreamily as she considered Hermione's suggestion. "I like it."

"Thank you, Luna," Hermione replied defiantly.

"What about the Hogwarts Defense Force?" Neville offered. "It gets the same point across."

"And no-one will be calling us _HAGs_," Ginny smirked.

"Hogwarts Defence Force," Luna repeated, "I like it."

"Fine!" Hermione acquiesced, "Hogwarts Defense Force it is."

"Thank Merlin," Ginny replied.

* * *

The rest of her day passed quietly as Neville and Luna began spreading the word to the masses. Ginny had sat with her for a few hours and chatted amiably, talking about anything but her and Harry's relationship. As news spread more and more students stopped by throughout the day, asking questions and promising they would be at tomorrow's meeting. Each time she checked the map to confirm Draco's whereabouts he seemed to be pacing in his bedroom.

Ginny had just left to inform McGonagall of her own resignation when her mirror warmed.

_How was your first day inciting a revolution?_

_Very boring. And I missed you_, she quickly tapped back.

_Pomfrey said Ron and I could get out of here first thing tomorrow morning so we'll be able to get in trouble for skiving off classes with you._

_Looking forward to it, _she replied. Her mirror warmed once again.

_McGonagall taught me the messaging spell. You aren't going to believe this._

She waited in vain for a follow up message before she spotted a silver object scamper around the corner and head her way. It looked very much like her patronus but a bit brighter and slightly larger. As the otter bounded up to her she couldn't help but smile. It opened its mouth and began to speak in Harry's voice.

"_I hope you appreciate this because Ron's never going to let me hear the end of it."_


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: I received a few comments from people that were disappointed to see Harry's patronus change. They were all reasonable and fair insights and things I thoroughly considered before I chose to go forward with that particular twist and I thought they deserved an answer. For anyone interested I've included my responses to the most prevalent comments I received on the matter at the end of this chapter.

I also want to thank the people who have taken the time to leave a review. I know FFN reviewers get a bad rap from a lot of authors as being childish, insulting, etc. but I can honestly say I've had the exact opposite experience. Even 99.9% of the critical comments I've received have been well thought out and polite. I've always enjoyed reading reviews but my enjoyment has been heightened by the quarantine we are currently under so I thought all of you who take the time to do so deserve a special shout out.

Also, special acknowledgement to _DowLane_ for their review of the last chapter. It was short and sweet and made me laugh out loud.

THE REVOLUTION HAS BEGUN! WE STRIKE AT DAWN, BITCHES!

_DowLane_ gets it you guys. Now on with the show…

* * *

**Chapter 14**

Hermione arrived at the Room of Requirement precisely at 6:00 am the next morning. Rising so early hadn't been a struggle as the nerves associated with what was about to happen coupled with her thinking about Harry and his new patronus had made it very difficult to sleep. She'd even had the requisite additional time required to tame her hair.

Based on Harry's message he hadn't minded his patronus changing but the hours since had allowed for her insecurities to start seeping to the forefront. Would he be scared that they were moving too fast? Was he disappointed at losing such a personal connection to his father?

_Stop over thinking things_, she mentally commanded to herself as she set up shop for the day in front of the Room of Requirement.

But what if she wasn't over thinking? What if she had cause for concern? There had to be a reason he hadn't actually said the words 'I love you' to her yet. Despite herself she thought of how much Harry had retreated into himself last year when he was confused and uncertain. Would he do the same now?

_Stop. Over. Thinking. Things._ She yelled internally as she pulled out her Defence text and began reviewing the chapter to be covered that morning. Given that she wouldn't be actually attending the class in question it seemed the most prudent thing to do. She thought it fitting that Professor Snape would be the first professor they would be annoying with their plan.

Fifteen minutes after her arrival Dobby popped back with a light breakfast. "Dobby likes Hermione Granger's hair!" he complimented enthusiastically before disappearing from sight. She picked at her food before giving it up as a lost cause. Her stomach didn't want to eat…it wanted to see Harry and calm her irrational fears.

As she saw Harry round the corner with Ron an hour later she realized how silly she was being. He looked just as happy and excited as she was at the moment. She instantly decided the ten seconds it would take for him to reach her was entirely too long. She took off in a near sprint and enveloped him in a hug, reducing the time by at least six seconds. She buried herself into the small of Harry's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Told you she would love it, mate," she heard Ron mumble awkwardly in her periphery. "I'll be back to take over after lunch," he informed before leaving. At least she thought that was what he had said. She was too engrossed in enjoying Harry's shoulder to pay much attention.

"Are you all right?" he asked worriedly. "Did something happen?"

"I just missed you," she replied before pulling him toward the table and chairs. A quick call to Dobby resulted in a breakfast delivery for Harry and Hermione finally dug into her own food as well after applying a quick warming charm. She was suddenly starving.

"What did Ron tell you I would love?" she eventually asked, remembering her friend's comment from earlier.

Harry stopped eating…looking a bit hesitant. "I was worried about my patronus changing. I thought you might be embarrassed by it or something," he answered as he shook his head. "It was stupid."

"I loved it," she blurted. "Mine swims but I like how your version scampered up to me," she gushed. It was a bit shocking to hear the words coming out of her mouth because as a rule she most definitely did _not _gush. But Harry was different. He deserved as much gushing as she could manage.

"I hate swimming," Harry said with a slight grimace, clearly relieved and soothed by her gushing. "And he _doesn't_ scamper. He strides majestically," he protested feebly.

She thought about how Harry's stag really did stride majestically and a bit of worry creeped back in.

"Does it bother _you_?" she asked as casually as possible. "Your patronus changing?"

Harry looked confused. "Why would it bother me?"

"I don't know…because it's not like your dad's any more. Or you might not like Ron's teasing."

Harry rolled his eyes and smiled. "Why wouldn't I like it? We've got a matching set!" he answered immediately as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Besides," he continued, Ron didn't have any room to talk. Lavender visited that morning and he spent thirty minutes begging for forgiveness before she let him off the hook. I couldn't hear what he was saying but he looked a bit pathetic."

"Did he give her the mirror?" she asked, pleased to hear of the reconciliation.

"Yeah, that was what did the trick actually…she kind of attacked him after that. Set Madam Pomfrey off let me tell you."

Hermione smiled at the visual in her head before Harry continued.

"Ron did come up with a name for him: _Harry Otter_."

Hermione burst out laughing.

"Even McGonagall smiled at that," he offered.

"How did she take the news?" she asked.

"Not as bad I thought she would," Harry replied. "I thought she'd be angry but she just seemed a bit sad…and like she was expecting it. Seeing my patronus had changed to be like yours cheered her up a bit. She said we reminded her of my mum and dad."

Hermione smiled to herself before continuing. "Ginny resigned last night. She said she thought the rest of the team would follow suit once they knew what was going on."

"Really?"

Hermione chuckled at his surprise. Typical Harry.

"Honestly, you can be incredibly thick sometimes. All I had to do was tell her what we were planning and she immediately joined in. Neville was so excited to help I think he may try out for the squad just so he can resign as well. Either of them would do anything you asked and they despise Draco."

As he pondered her last statement she continued on.

"Neville and Luna spent yesterday telling as many people as possible what we were planning. We've got another meeting scheduled for tonight to see who else is interested in helping."

"How many people do you reckon will show up?" he asked.

"I have no idea. Most of Dumbledore's Army I would imagine…probably a few others. Our new name is the _Hogwarts Defence Force_ by the way," she informed, trying and failing to stifle a frown.

Harry nodded with a smirk. "So they hated HAG as much as Ron and I did?"

"It wasn't HAG-" she began to protest before spotting someone new rounding the corner. The Slytherin prefect looked as pleased as Harry had been when he had arrived but Hermione suspected the girl's excitement was related to the punishment she was about to assign.

"It's really her," Harry confirmed after a quick glance at the Marauder's Map before stowing it away.

"I've been sent by Professor Snape," Pansy informed. "He's assigned you detention for being late to Defence. You've got five minutes to get to class or you'll both be serving detention for the rest of the week." She was so smug.

Hermione was all set to respond but Harry beat her to the punch.

"Please let Professor Snape know we won't be attending his class today," he began. "We need to stay here and ensure your boyfriend can't work on his plan to murder students."

He was a bit blunter with his explanation than she would have been but based on Pansy's gob smacked expression it got the point across splendidly. She decided to join in.

"Please tell Professor Snape we won't be able to attend detention tonight either. We've scheduled a meeting to organize more students to stop Draco and it would be rude to miss it."

"What are you talking about?" Pansy asked after she had recovered from the shock of their blatant honesty.

"Oh, come on now," Harry interjected. "Did you really think other students wouldn't want to join in to help once they found out what your boyfriend was up to?"

"Typical Potter," Pansy replied…a bit of her normal fire having now returned, "making up stories for attention again."

"She's sorted out the plan, Hermione," Harry confirmed joyfully. "That's exactly right, Parkinson. The more attention the better. As of today Dracie Poo is going to be getting even more attention than me whether he wants it or not. We think the added attention will make his murder attempts a bit more difficult you see…"

"You have no idea what you are up against," she spit back in defiance. Despite her harsh words it was clear that a bit of worry and uncertainty was seeping through. Draco and his friends were used to being on the attack and she was not enjoying this new dynamic.

"Funny, I was about to say the same thing," Harry replied pleasantly.

Harry's words had the intended affect as the girl shot them both a scowl before storming off.

"Does that mean you won't be coming to the meeting?" Harry called out as she disappeared from sight. Despite herself Hermione laughed. As petty as it was it felt good to be pushing back against the morons.

"I hope a few people show up tonight or I'm going to look like a proper idiot," Harry added, causing another nervous chuckle from Hermione.

"I'm sure it will be fine," she reassured as much for herself as it was for Harry.

After several additional moments of soaking in their small victory Hermione returned to her original plan for the morning. She checked the map one more time to make sure Draco was safely ensconced in the Defence classroom before standing.

"So today's Defence lesson is on silent casting of stunning spells," Hermione began. "I think we should practice on our own."

"Yeah, I read through the chapter a few times last night because I knew we wouldn't be there," Harry commented absently.

Hermione fought the urge to ditch her plan in order to snog Harry senseless for his pragmatism and preparation. It was a difficult urge to resist.

Harry levitated the table and chairs to the side before casting cushioning charms on the nearby walls and floor. "Go easy on me, Hermione," he requested, "I've just gotten out of hospital. If you send me back there this soon Pomfrey will murder me."

* * *

Her afternoon had been infinitely less peaceful as Hermione realized their concern about a lack of volunteers was entirely unfounded. Ron and Lavender had taken over the Draco watch at lunchtime and Hermione had been harassed for details by seemingly her entire Arithmancy class that afternoon. Between Neville and Luna spreading the word and their skiving off of Defence class that morning it seemed the entire castle was taking an interest in what was going on.

As she and Harry ate supper before their planned meeting she noticed one pair of eyes purposely avoided looking their way, however. Despite the fact that Draco purposely kept his gaze on his food Hermione could tell how panicked he was at the current happenings. Anyone not looking at her or Harry seemed to be staring at him suspiciously and it was clear the unwanted attention was already having an impact on the boy's mental state. Only his most loyal of sycophants seemed to want to be associated with him at the moment as the other Slytherins seemed to be making an effort to sit as far away from him as possible.

The staff table all wore looks of concern save for the headmaster and Professor Snape. The former looked severely disappointed while the latter simply wore a slightly more pronounced sneer. Harry had enjoyed Ron's retelling of that morning's Defence class…particularly Snape's reaction once Parkinson had returned with the news that they wouldn't be joining and why. Professor Snape had been particularly adept and adamant about deducting points from Gryffindor for the remainder of the session.

She was so busy musing on the day and reviewing her notes for their upcoming meeting that it took a forceful nudge from Harry to get her attention. He pointed at the gathering crowd and she gasped. There was still fifteen minutes before the meeting was scheduled to start but it was already standing room only with more students pouring in by the moment.

"I think we're going to need more chairs," she muttered bemusedly, drawing grateful cheers from the assembled masses as the room immediately fulfilled her request.

Despite the amount of people the crowd had remained relatively silent during her introduction and explanation of what would be happening. Any untoward comments were quickly quashed by D.A. members sitting amongst the crowd. After finishing her planned soliloquy she took a breath and prepared for the onslaught. "Any questions?"

Hermione was thoroughly unsurprised by the first question and fought the urge to roll her eyes in annoyance. "What about Quidditch?"

"We won't be making any accommodations for Quidditch practices or matches," she answered calmly. "If you sign up to help you are agreeing that this will be your top priority. Above classes, Quidditch, clubs, everything."

As expected her reply caused loud murmurs throughout the crowd as another questioner spoke up. "What are we supposed to say to our housemates when we start losing points?"

Before she could answer Ron piped in. "If you are worried about Quidditch or losing the house cup you might as well save yourself the trouble and leave now," he declared, drawing a proud squeeze from Lavender.

"The entire Gryffindor team has already resigned their positions," Ginny interjected, drawing yet more murmurs.

"What do we tell our parents when we get detentions?" a younger Hufflepuff piped in nervously.

"You tell them the truth," Harry answered. "The more people who know what we are doing and why the better."

"Why isn't the Headmaster doing more to stop Draco?" the same girl queried.

Harry smiled. "That is a really good question, Miss-"

"Greengrass," the girl supplied. "Astoria Greengrass."

"Well, Astoria, as I said that is a really good question and I wish I had the answer. I would urge you and your parents to ask him. Maybe you will have better luck."

"Like Ron said if any of you aren't interested at this point there is no shame in leaving," Harry declared. To Hermione's shock only a few people exited the room. Excluding Slytherins she estimated that at least three quarters of the remaining students from fourth year and up had effectively signed up for duty.

After the crowd settled down once again the questioning resumed.

"I heard they were using Polyjuice potion as a disguise," a Ravenclaw stated more than asked, "he could pretend to be one of us to get in again." The fourth year, Richard Pembleton if Hermione remembered correctly, seemed very proud of himself for coming up with such an ingenious strategy.

"You are right. That is why you only will be notified thirty minutes prior to when you will be needed to guard the room," she answered. "The less time anyone knows who will be on guard the less time they will have to react."

"I also have another…_tool_…that allows me to check where anyone is in the castle and it isn't fooled by polyjuice," Harry interjected. "The plan is to have someone monitoring where Draco is throughout the day at all times."

It was a testament to the ridiculous stories they had heard about Harry that the group seemed to accept the news about this mysterious magical device unquestioningly.

"You said you want to have three or four people in front of the room at all times. What if Malfoy or his friends ambush us?"

That was Harry's cue to start handing out the coins as she took back over.

"There is always going to be a risk if you volunteer to help but it will be up to all of us working together to minimize it as much as possible," Hermione answered. "Draco is restricted to Slytherin House except for classes and meals. You will be able to use the coin Harry is handing out to let everyone else know if you spot him anywhere besides class or in the Great Hall. If he is late or leaves class unexpectedly you can let everyone know to be on the lookout as well. You can also use it at any time to call for help. This is also how we will be notifying you when it's your time to stand guard." She quickly explained how the coins worked before continuing. She could feel the excitement growing in the room as the group collectively realized that she and Harry actually seemed to have a plan and knew what they were doing.

"We will also be trying to make sure every group includes at least one seventh year student or a member of our defense group from last year. Show of hands…how many people here can manage a corporeal patronus?"

The look of unfettered shock from most of the assembled at the multiple hands that shot up in the air was amusing. "We've learned a way to send messages using a patronus," she continued. "If you stay after the meeting we can show you how to do it. We thought it would be a good public way to show people what is happening if we used them to send messages whenever possible."

"I want to learn how to cast a patronus!" someone exclaimed, drawing multiple confirmations amongst the crowd.

"I'm sorry but with everything going on we aren't going to have the time for that sort of instruction. Harry and I already have detention for the rest of the week and-" she replied before being interrupted.

"The rest of us can do it," Neville volunteered. "We can even use the Room of Requirement like we did for the D.A. meetings…using the room will provide a bit more protection." Neville looked around to see several D.A. members nodding in agreement and stood to address the group.

"Anyone who is interested in practicing Defence, including learning how to cast a Patronus, come back here tomorrow night at the same time and we'll get it organized," he declared before sitting back down and nodding for her to continue. Things had escalated well beyond anything she or Harry had imagined.

"Are you as terrified as I am right now?" Harry asked her quietly as they waited for the crowd noise to die down. He was doing his best to not look terrified.

"Thoroughly and utterly," she responded as she attempted to remain outwardly calm and composed. She and Harry were meant to be in charge…or something.

She glanced at Harry and could tell he was relieved not to be the only one a bit intimidated by what was happening in front of their eyes. As she waited for the excited rumbling to die down Harry leaned into her ear and whispered. "Let the revolution begin…"

"It's about time," she muttered back as she reached for his hand under the table.

* * *

Because of the size and the rapidly expanding scope the meeting lasted much longer than expected. It was only thanks to Dobby's friendly reminder that Hermione was aware that time had gotten away from her and curfew was looming. She and Harry waited for everyone to leave before they began their quiet trek…hand in hand…back to the Gryffindor common room. She reveled in the feel of Harry's hand and the blessed silence as her brain slowly stopped spinning from the day's events. This quiet time with Harry was doing a wonderful job in calming her and she couldn't wait for more once they plopped down on their couch with Crookshanks.

"Shit," Harry muttered as he stopped walking, "it's Monday. We still need to talk to Kreacher."

Hermione simultaneously wanted to complain at the extra task and scream in exultation at how much Harry's relationship had evolved with the elf. As mentally exhausted as she was Harry's growing camaraderie and sense of duty toward Kreacher restored a bit of her energy. She quickly cast _Expecto Patronum_ and sent a message off to Ron.

"What did you do?" Harry asked.

"I sent a message to Ron letting him know that we would be out after curfew and asked him to cover for us," she explained.

"You are so much better at breaking the rules and not getting caught," Harry exclaimed as he pulled her into the nearest classroom.

As Harry began the now standard script with the elf, Hermione allowed her mind to wander to how much the Hogwarts Defence Force had expanded beyond her expectations. She had anticipated having to miss several classes each week to protect the room but the reality was much different. If everyone stuck to their commitment the Defence class she had missed that morning would be her only absence from tuition. They were now overflowing with volunteers and Harry and she had volunteered to cover the daily time period from six to eight in the morning to avoid any grumbling from the rest of the group about having to get up so early.

When she had volunteered for the early time slot the assumption was that she'd be handling it alone but Harry quickly disavowed her of that notion. It had been difficult for her not to get visibly emotional when he quickly modified her "I" to "we" in front of everyone. She could practically feel the girls in the crowd sighing wistfully at the romanticism of it all.

Hermione forcefully turned her attention back to the conversation taking place between Harry and his elf. She could resume the ruminating on the wonderfulness of Harry once she was back in the Gryffindor common room, staring into the fire and buried into his side. She couldn't wait.

"Kreacher has finished cleaning the library and thinks he is ready to begin working on the second floor," the elf intoned proudly.

"That sounds good," Harry informed with an approving nod. "Go ahead and start with the master bedroom. Once you think it is acceptable move to the next room. Just remember to rest as much as you need to, okay?" Harry asked, drawing a sincere nod from the elf.

It had been fascinating to watch the aged elf's resistance to Harry's charm gradually wane over the last several weeks. It had been weeks since she'd seen the elf look uncomfortable or angry at being summoned and despite his best intentions it appeared to Hermione that Kreacher was enjoying Harry's attention and concern lately. It could have been her hopeful imagination but as the weeks had progressed it seemed that the elf's skin had sagged a bit less, his tunic seemed to be a bit less dirty, and his disdain for her existence had virtually disappeared.

"Great!" Harry answered with false enthusiasm. "I think that's it for tonight. Is there anything I can do to help you?" he asked.

Although the elf had consistently declined assistance each week Mr. Dagworth was adamant that Harry should keep asking. It was important to continually remind Kreacher that Harry was concerned for him if they were going to combat the elf's years of abuse.

Hermione was all set for Kreacher's standard negative response but it didn't come. Instead the elf remained silent…silent and pensive. He was clearly considering something.

"Kreacher would like Master's help but Kreacher is worried," the elf finally muttered.

"Worried?" Harry replied in confusion.

The elf nodded gravely, still unsure if he should continue. After several uncomfortable moments of silence he appeared to come to a decision. "Kreacher has an important task that his former Master asked him to fulfill many years ago but Kreacher has been unable to do so. Kreacher would like Master Potter to help him," the elf croaked out. He was trembling now…seemingly terrified at sharing the information with Harry.

"I don't think I want to help you with anything Walburga Black-"

"Not Mistress…_Master_," Kreacher corrected…the urgency and _desperation_ clear in his voice. Despite his obvious fear he plowed ahead. "Master Regulus."

"Regulus Black?" Harry asked, confusing Hermione even more. Who was Regulus Black?

The elf nodded before pulling out a square necklace from his worn and ragged tunic.

Harry's eyes bulged in recognition and she felt the hairs on her arm instantly stand on end. Something was happening. Something monumental.

"What is it Harry?" she demanded.

"I think that's a Horcrux."

* * *

A/N: My responses to the most common patronus comments are below. I typically dislike long author notes but given the COVID-19 nonsense going on I figure a lot of folks are looking for anything to distract themselves so the more words I can post the better. Besides, I put a LOT of thought into this and thought some of you would enjoy reading my justification. So enjoy my ramblings/serious insights into my character portrayal.

_Having Harry's patronus change to be like Hermione's takes away some of his personality and uniqueness._

\- A stag doesn't represent Harry's uniqueness…it represents his father's uniqueness. The only reason Harry's patronus is a stag in my opinion is because it represents his love and longing for his father...for family. His parents are what he sees in the Mirror of Erised because they are what he associates with love. If the Harry in my story looked into the mirror now I think he would see himself and an older Hermione with two or three kids…because Hermione is what he now associates with love and happiness. If his patronus represents his personality in any way it is in his capacity to and desire for love…that desire has now shifted toward Hermione. In other words Hermione isn't the only person experiencing a paradigm shift in this story (layers!).

_Harry's patronus changing to an otter shows he is subjugating himself in an unhealthy way to his love interest similar to Snape and Tonks. _

_\- _Snape's doe and Tonks' wolf were NOT the male/female counterpart patronus of their love interest, rather they were literal manifestations of who they loved and longed for. It didn't represent a partnership…it represented one sided affection. Lily Potter, who by all accounts is 100% her own person and who would never subjugate herself to her spouse, has a doe patronus. The doe isn't a copy of James' patronus…it is a partner to his stag. They are a unified, loving team and their Stag/Doe patronuses (patroni?) represent that. I purposely made a point of noting that Harry's otter is slightly bigger than Hermione's to (hopefully) indicate his was the male partner to Hermione's female otter.

_It would have been better if Hermione's patronus changed to a doe to be a partner to Harry's stag._

Besides me thinking this is a bit sexist there are a few more reasons why I didn't go this route.

As much as I use some fanon tropes and clichés in my writing I try my best to avoid the most obvious and repeated plot beats repeated in fan fiction. Harry's love interest having her patronus be a doe has been done a million times and isn't interesting or original to me to read or write. I wrote another story centered around Daphne Greengrass and although I leaned into some of the "Ice Queen" tropes (quiet, guarded, a small circle of friends) I purposely avoided anyone calling her that name because it has been done to death and can signal to the reader that the story they are reading isn't as original as it could be. Having Harry's patronus change as opposed to Hermione's subverts the readers expectations and resonates more for me. The important thing for a twist to work is it needs to make sense in the context of the story…I think mine does.

One of the biggest goals in a romance for me is to portray that it is an actual partnership…that both parties learn to support each other, are growing together, and are a team. At the beginning of this story Harry and Hermione were dysfunctional members of Team Dumbledore but as of the last chapter they are now the founding members of Team Potter/Granger and I wanted to symbolize this as much as possible without going overboard. In chapter 11 Hermione showed this by handing in her prefect badge. Harry's patronus changing in chapter 12 is a symbol of this as well and seemed like a good way to end Part 1 of this story. Spoiler Alert: They are in this together from here on out.

Having Harry's patronus change instead of Hermione's made for a funny ending to the chapter. I love ending chapters on something amusing…it is in many ways my story telling kryptonite. And once I realized I could use the nickname 'Harry Otter™' it was a done deal.

See? I really think a lot about this stuff. And Harry Otter™ is funny. Why aren't you laughing?


	15. Chapter 15

As they made their way to the headmaster's office Hermione did her best to calm herself. Kreacher had been reluctant to accompany them but Harry's quick reassurance/order had done the trick. She couldn't remember seeing the aged elf look so energized and alive as he realized he may finally be able to accomplish his prior Master's final wish. Harry, however, looked uncomfortable…disturbed.

"You hold it the rest of the way, Kreacher," Harry informed as he handed Slytherin's treasure back to the aged elf.

"What's wrong?" she asked, confused that he wasn't as excited as she was about their discovery.

He shook his head as if he was trying to jiggle something back into place before speaking. "That thing is foul," he muttered, "it was like I could feel its heart beating."

It was clear to her that Kreacher holding the locket once again only because his master had requested it. The immediate unease it was causing was apparent.

"Are you all right, Kreacher?" she asked.

"Kreacher has not held the locket for many years," the elf replied gravely. "It makes Kreacher think about how he failed his Master…always thinking…always…" he spit out, becoming emotional once again. She needed to do something.

"I can try holding it," she volunteered. It was a measure of how negatively it still affected Kreacher that he quickly handed such a precious item over to her.

As they continued their walk she was surprised at the relatively benign affect that the locket was having on her. It was clear there was magic at play and she could feel the weight…the oppressiveness of it…but that was it. She felt no sinister beating hearts or had any miserable thoughts about failures and regret.

"Are you all right?" Harry asked in concern.

"I'm fine. I don't think it affects me as much," she answered honestly. I think I can carry it the rest of the way."

"Kreacher thanks Miss Granger for her help," the elf volunteered gratefully. She couldn't be sure as it looked wholly unnatural for him to do so but he appeared to be smiling at being relieved of his burden.

"Harry thanks you too," he supplied warmly, grabbing her free hand. She immediately felt something in the locket flare at his touch and pulled her hand away.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, shooting him an apologetic look for her rejection. "When you grabbed my hand it seemed to come to life a bit."

Silence reigned at her disturbing revelation and the trio unconsciously quickened their pace. The sooner they took care of this abomination the better. It may have been her imagination but the heaviness she felt seemed to be growing with each step.

* * *

Thirty minutes later they were in the headmaster's office. Kreacher had once again recounted the sad and horrific back-story of the locket…how he had been used as a lamb being led to slaughter by Voldemort…Regulus Black's bravery and sacrifice…his countless fruitless attempts at destroying the necklace.

Throughout it all Kreacher looked to Harry when it became uncomfortable to continue…seemingly drawing support from the presence of his Master. Based on his expression it was clear that Dumbledore had picked up on the changing dynamic between the pair as well.

"You have been very brave, Kreacher. Master Regulus would be proud," Dumbledore supplied gently before turning his attention toward Harry. "It appears your elf has saved us from embarking on a fruitless journey. The cave he described was to be my next attempt at finding a Horcrux," he confirmed.

"We need to destroy it," Harry stated firmly, his eyes never leaving the locket as it lied on the headmaster's desk.

The headmaster nodded in affirmation before turning toward a nearby portrait. With a wave of his wand the portrait swung open, revealing a hidden compartment. He quickly pulled out the sword of Gryffindor.

"We can do it with that?" Harry asked dumbly.

The headmaster considered the sword in his hand before continuing. "The sword of Gryffindor takes on the attributes of anything it comes in contact with. Can you think of any unique attributes that it could have acquired recently that would allow it to destroy a Horcrux?"

"Basilisk venom," Hermione answered immediately.

"Correct, Miss Granger. The venom in this sword allowed me to destroy the prior Horcrux as well," he continued academically.

"Master Regulus said that the locket must be opened first," the elf intoned. "Kreacher tried many times…all attempts failed," he finished, the shame apparent in his voice.

"I believe we have another unique tool at our disposal for that task, Kreacher," Dumbledore continued before Harry interrupted.

"Parseltongue," he blurted automatically as he stared unblinkingly at Slytherin's treasure.

"Very good, Harry," he complimented as he moved in front of the locket and held the sword over it with both hands. "If you will do the honor of opening the locket I will destroy the Horcrux. Miss Granger, you and Kreacher should step away and protect yourself," he directed.

Once she and Kreacher had moved to the open doorway she quickly cast _Protego_, making sure it was large enough to protect them both. "Be careful, Harry," she pleaded.

Harry nodded determinedly before casting his own shield and hissing his instruction. She heard a click and watched the doors of the locket slowly open.

Hermione was too far away to see what had appeared but the look of abject fear on the headmaster's face was clear. She'd never seen him look so weak…almost childlike in his vulnerability.

_Does he know? Does he know of your machinations? _

"Headmaster!" Harry spoke loudly. It had no affect as Dumbledore continued to gaze in horror at the locket.

_The great Albus Dumbledore. Always leading. Always lying. Always failing._

"Headmaster!" Harry yelled once again but Dumbledore continued to be entranced.

_How many have trusted you? How many have suffered and died needlessly because of that trust? You've failed them just as you will fail him. He has suffered and he will die for nothing._

"It's like the ring! It's trying to trick you to protect itself!" Harry screamed. "Don't listen to it! Stab it! Please Headmaster!"

Harry's final words broke the spell as Dumbledore eyes flashed toward him in recognition and his expression morphed into one of determination and barely controlled fury. Despite his age it was clear to her at that moment why he was still considered by many to be the most powerful wizard alive.

"Protect yourself, Harry," he commanded before plunging the sword into the locket.

The scream emitted by the locket was like nothing Hermione had ever heard before and for the first time she felt the true wickedness that was Lord Voldemort. It was unearthly in its evil.

She quickly dropped her wand and ran to Harry, engulfing him in a hug and burying her head in his shoulder. The feelings of loss and desperation were quickly replaced by comfort and reassurance.

"Three more to go," she mumbled.

"Three more to go," he repeated. He was so used to dealing with these horrific circumstances…it made her heart ache to think of how many times he'd experienced them alone. She would do everything in her power to ensure it never happened again.

She felt a slight tug on her sleeve and looked to see Kreacher now by her side.

"Mistress dropped her wand," the elf informed as he handed it to her.

"Thank you, Kreacher."

"Kreacher is grateful for Master Potter and mistress," the elf replied as he approached the desk and stood up on his toes, staring in awe at the now broken locket.

"It's definitely gone, right?" Harry asked, waiting for the headmaster's nod before picking up the locket and casting _Reparo. _The necklace still looked much worse off from its encounter with Gryffindor's sword but it was now back to its original shape and the doors were latched shut once again.

Harry handed the locket to the aged elf. "I think you should have this, Kreacher…to remember Master Regulus."

It was clear that Harry's act of generosity had shocked the elf as he stared at the gift in disbelief. "Thank you, Master," he replied reverently.

"You're welcome," Harry answered and Hermione could tell that he meant it.

"Does Master require anything else of Kreacher?" He appeared to be shaking in excitement at Harry's gift and what they had accomplished.

"No, I think that's enough for tonight," Harry chuckled. "Get some rest, yeah? We've all had an eventful night."

"Yes, Master," Kreacher replied as he bowed deeply to Harry. He then turned his attention to Hermione.

"Thank you for protecting Kreacher, mistress," he intoned, bowing once again before popping out of sight.

"You and Kreacher seem to be on much better terms," Dumbledore observed. He appeared to have composed himself from whatever the Horcrux showed him to protect itself.

"We've been working with him over the last few months," Harry replied before realizing what he'd admitted. "I hope that's not against the rules…calling him to Hogwarts."

"Technically students are required to get special permission from their Head of House before contacting a personal elf but given the spectacular results of the evening I believe I will overlook it this time.

Based on your absence from class this morning and Mr. Weasley and Miss Brown this afternoon am I correct in assuming we are in store for much more rule breaking over the next few weeks?" he asked bemusedly, a bit of color and life returning to his face.

"Yes sir," Harry answered simply, not offering any more information.

"I don't suppose it would do any good to ask once again for you to trust me," Dumbledore asked. He looked very tired.

"No sir, it wouldn't," Harry replied.

"Regulus Black was the same age as Draco when he joined the Dark Lord," Dumbledore observed, "a boy who made a mistake and learned to regret it."

"Then expel him," Harry replied. "Send him to serve his dark lord so he can learn to regret it instead of risking the other students' lives. Better yet, check him for the mark and if he has it have him arrested." Hermione wanted to cheer.

The headmaster nodded in defeat before grabbing a piece of parchment and quickly writing a note.

"I believe you two should head back to Gryffindor," he informed wearily as he handed over the parchment. "This note gives my permission to be out after hours should you be stopped."

"Thank you for coming to me with your discovery," he intoned as they moved to leave. "We've struck a great blow to Voldemort this night."

After walking in silence for several minutes Hermione spoke. "Could you see what the Horcrux showed Professor Dumbledore? He looked terrified."

She felt Harry tense before replying. "It was a girl…maybe a year or two younger than us. She was just lying there all sprawled out…like she was dead."

She could sense there was more to it that Harry did not want to share. "What is it Harry?" she prodded.

He stopped walking and turned to face her. The intensity of his stare as he considered what to share was at once mesmerizing and terrifying. His face eventually softened and he began playing with her hair as he spoke.

"Near the end it changed into me…still lying there…dead."

She instinctively grabbed him and held him close. As she buried her head into his shoulder she realized this was the precise reason he had stopped walking before delivering the news. Even faced with such a horrific image his thoughts were on her reaction. Her first instinct was to burst into tears but she pushed back at the urge. She needed to be strong for Harry.

"Like you said to the headmaster, it's a trick. You're here and nothing is going to happen to you," she proclaimed fiercely. "I won't let it."

She felt him nod against her. "I was actually more upset about what it said…about him lying," he continued.

Hermione didn't know how to respond so she remained quiet and buried herself in a bit more. It occurred to her that they were striking a very odd pose in the middle of the Hogwarts hallway but did not care. Besides, they had a note.

"I like your hair," he muttered inexplicably after several minutes.

"What?" she laughed.

"The color, the smell, the curls, it's unique. I don't know…it calms me. It's calming me right now."

She pulled back and kissed him. "Thank you for the most interesting compliment I've ever received. Ready to head back?"

As they continued their journey Hermione could not rid herself of the unease caused by her observations that night, specifically the reactions of the Horcrux to Harry and the words it spoke to the headmaster. She had a sickening hunch what the Horcrux was referring to but decided to hold her tongue for now. She needed to think on it more and have more facts before she mentioned it to Harry.

The common room was nearly empty by the time they arrived. She spotted Crookshanks poking his head around the side of the couch before settling back down, clearly expecting them to join him in a few minutes. She thought Crooks had an excellent idea and planned on spending the entire evening on the couch with Harry. Technically there was no rule forbidding students from spending all night together on a couch in the common room…or casting expansion spells to allow two people to comfortably lie down together on said couch. Before she could make the suggestion Harry spoke.

"I'll stow my things, get ready for bed, and meet you down here in ten minutes." It wasn't a question.

As a rule she wasn't comfortable with public displays of affection but at that moment she couldn't have cared less about their small audience of night owls. She kissed him very forcefully and for much longer than polite company would deem proper. Harry was her anti-Horcrux…full of hope and comfort and _life_.

In her periphery she heard a catcall from the crowd and dove back in for more. Sod the rabble…she needed to _live_. Eventually she disengaged from Harry and allowed herself to ask him something that had been on her mind for the last three years. His confession about her hair had emboldened her to finally make the request.

"Can I have one of your jerseys to sleep in?"

Harry chuckled. "I've got a few game and practice jerseys that don't fit me any more but would still be big on you. How many do you want?"

Hermione mumbled her reply.

"Sorry, I didn't catch that?"

"All of them. Please."

* * *

The remainder of the week was much less eventful as their time was either spent in front of the Room of Requirement, in class, or serving detention. To their pleasant surprise Professor McGonagall had supervised all of their detentions and allowed them to work on homework during their confinement. It wasn't as nice as her recent practice of leaning against Harry while she worked on her studies in the common room but it was miles better than scrubbing cauldron bottoms and dealing with Professor's Snape's sneering condescension.

The most amusing development of the week was the race to the bottom of the House Cup standings between Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. A bizarre honor system had quickly formed where other point deductions not related to the HDF were considered cheating and actually earning points was now discouraged. It appeared that she and Harry had thoroughly broken the Hogwarts merit system.

It was now Saturday and she and Harry were finishing up their daily early morning monitoring shift in front of the room. As they began to depart they were stopped by one of the new volunteers. It was the Hufflepuff who asked the questions in their introductory meeting.

"You left this on the desk, Hermione," the girl supplied as she handed her a piece of parchment before taking a seat.

"I don't think this is-"

"Thank you, Astoria," Harry interrupted, pulling her down the hall and out of sight before she could stop him.

"Harry, this isn't mine. I didn't even have any parchment out this morning," she protested.

"It's a message for us, Hermione," Harry said in a low voice, "I saw her take it out of her pocket."

"Why on earth would she be so secretive?" she asked.

"I've no idea…perhaps we should read it and find out," he suggested with a smirk. She playfully elbowed him in the ribs before reading the note.

_Meet me in the classroom next to the statue of Baragorn the Aggressive at 7:00 tonight. If you are concerned that this is a trap feel free to bring as many friends as you'd like._

_An Ally in Green_

"Huh," Harry muttered, "looks like someone in Slytherin wants to have a chat. I wonder who it is."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Well it's obvious isn't it?"

"No?" Harry replied.

"We received the note from Astoria Greengrass…" she prompted.

"Right, still don't have a clue," Harry answered, clearly enjoying her frustration.

"You really should pay more attention, Harry," she playfully scolded. "Astoria's sister Daphne is in Slytherin…she's actually in our year."

"Oh right! Greengrass…," he exclaimed in recognition. "She's the fit- I mean, the serious one."

"Nice catch," she complimented. "Daphne has always seemed all right to me. She's actually cordial to me in Arithmancy and Runes away from Draco and his goons."

"So I reckon we should go as long as we take precautions," Harry surmised.

Hermione nodded in agreement, wondering what Daphne had to share. Whatever it was she was sure it wouldn't be good.

She suddenly realized Harry was still walking with her toward Slughorn's office instead of Gryffindor.

"I think you were meant to turn back there, Harry," she noted reluctantly.

He shook his head and continued walking. "I'm already up and I don't like the idea of you walking alone with everything going on."

His casual comment on her inability to protect herself touched a nerve. "So I can't handle myself but you are okay to walk alone once you escort me?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at her tone, clearly picking up on her annoyance. "No…that's why I planned on staying and helping Professor Slughorn as well."

"Really?" she asked, feeling a bit stupid at her defensiveness.

"Like I said, I'm already up and neither of us should be walking around by ourselves. Besides, I need to defend my spot as his favorite student, don't I?" he joked.

"And I'll get to spend time with you," he concluded absently.

She had thought the desire to kiss Harry would start receding a bit over time but it seemed to be growing exponentially. It was entirely his fault as he kept doing and saying things that made her want to kiss him. And now that she was allowed and he was _right there _the idea just kept popping into her head. All the time.

"Hermione, are you all right?"

After a rather distracting and satisfying five minute sojourn into a nearby classroom and an additional five minute walk they reached their destination.

"The leader of the rebellion has arrived!" Slughorn exclaimed joyfully, "and I see you've brought your partner in crime as well. Not planning on staging a coup on the potions lab I hope!" he joked.

"Just thought I could lend a hand as well, sir," Harry replied, still uncomfortable with Slughorn's enthusiastic approach.

As humorous as Harry's awkwardness was Hermione thought it best to put him out of his misery. "What would you like us to start with, Professor?"

* * *

Several hours later they were on the way to their clandestine meeting with Daphne Greengrass. As Harry consulted the map and she scanned the classroom's entrance for any spells or enchantments their invisible traveling companions spoke.

"So, how does it look?" Ron asked in a whisper under the cloak.

"There's still just the three of them. Daphne, Tracey Davis and…Zabini," Harry supplied. The last name was said with a bit of annoyance and concern.

"Everything looks clean," she imparted. "No tricks or traps as far as I can tell."

"Do you want us to go in with you?" Ron asked. "Even up the numbers?"

"You can follow us in under the cloak but keep your mouth shut unless they try something," Harry answered as he held out the map. "And watch this…make sure no-one tries to sneak in while we're talking."

She looked to the space where Ron's voice had been coming from and watched the map disappear. "That's a good idea, Harry," she confirmed. "Just stay quiet unless they actually try something."

"Good luck," she heard the disembodied voice of Lavender whisper…clearly excited and energized at being part of the 'team'.

They entered the room to find the Slytherin trio in the midst of a discussion, all jolting up immediately.

"I told you they would come," Tracey gloated. Based on his annoyed expression Blaise had not expected her or Harry to show up for the meeting.

"What's this about?" Harry began unceremoniously, his wand at the ready.

"Typical Potter," Blaise muttered in condescension. "He's here for ten seconds and he's already waving his wand around."

"Shut up, Blaise," Daphne admonished before gesturing toward a nearby desk.

"My apologies for Zabini and his mouth," she started, shooting her housemate another glare. "We've purposely set our wands on that desk to show you we are not a threat. We just want to talk."

Harry looked her way and Hermione gave him a nod of agreement. He quickly pulled her into two nearby chairs but continued to grasp his wand tightly. "Talk," he ordered.

"We want to warn you," Daphne stated simply.

"In case you haven't noticed we've already sorted out that Malfoy is a threat," Harry replied sarcastically. "Zabini here heard all about his service to the Dark Lord on the train ride to Hogwarts at the start of term. Isn't that right, Zabini?"

It was clear the Slytherin was ready with an angry retort but held his tongue at Daphne's withering glare. The girl was most definitely in charge.

"Potter…Harry…we are all on the same side," Daphne interjected calmly.

"Really?" Hermione asked in Harry's defense. "As I recall you've all seemed to enjoy Draco's nonsense over the years and were quite happy to wear those stupid _Potter Stinks_ badges in fourth year. And what did you say Blaise called Ginny on the train, Harry? A blood traitor was it? Suppose you consider me a mudblood as well…"

"I understand your concern and you are right to be cautious," Daphne trudged on. "While you might not believe we are on the same side I can assure you we are most definitely _not_ on You Know Who's side."

Harry slowly lowered his wand and motioned for her to continue, drawing a look of relief from Daphne.

"You mentioned Draco's boasting," Daphne began, "but what you need to understand is we've had to listen to his nonsense for years now…even before Hogwarts for some of us. We thought it was more of the same this year…just his normal blustering with nothing to back it up."

"It isn't just about the blustering and you know it, Hermione reprimanded, "he is cruel and foul. He has been since first year."

Daphne looked uncomfortable at Hermione's brutal honesty as she nodded in agreement. "You're right…it isn't just about his ego. But until this year we all thought he was harmless…" she trailed off, knowing it was a poor excuse for quietly sitting on the sidelines over the years.

"So you've finally cottoned on to what a threat he is?" Harry asked.

"Harry, give her a chance," Hermione pleaded softly as she saw the sincere regret on their faces. "Go on, Daphne," she prodded.

"Right. Well over the last few months Draco has changed. After Bell and Weasley were attacked he's become increasingly more withdrawn and since your group formed…" Daphne explained before trailing off.

"He's become desperate," Blaise continued, "except for classes and meals he never comes out of his room. He just-"

"Paces the floor," Harry interrupted, drawing stares from the Slytherins.

"How did you know that?" Blaise demanded.

"We aren't dumb enough to give away all of our secrets, Zabini," Harry replied forcefully.

"Stop! Just…please…stop." Daphne interrupted. "Both of you stop with the posturing. We aren't here to fight…we are here to help you."

Harry nodded in contrition. "Go on," he instructed.

"You Know Who has other allies in the castle, Potter," Blaise stated. "Did you really think your little group wouldn't anger them? That they wouldn't try to fight back to teach you a lesson?"

"You mean finish Draco's mission?"

Blaise shook his head. "No-one knows what he is up to and as far as we can tell he hasn't asked anyone else for help. We're saying these other folks are planning on coming after you two…Granger specifically…to teach you a lesson for fighting back so publicly against Draco."

"I'm confused," Hermione replied. "Why are they so concerned if they don't even know what Draco is supposed to be doing?"

Daphne smirked. "You are thinking like a rational human being, Hermione. It's about pride for them. The blood traitor and the mudblood are openly pushing back against the Dark Lord and need to be put in their place."

Daphne handed them two pages of parchment that appeared to be a listing of Hogwarts students. The first parchment was comprised solely of Slytherin names but the second page was a mixture of Slytherins, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and a few Gryffindors.

"The first page is a listing of those in Slytherin house that oppose You Know Who. We've formed an unofficial secondary division of your Hogwarts Defense Force. We want to help you keep an eye on Draco as well as the people on the second piece of parchment."

"So this is a list of death eaters in training?" Harry asked as he held up the second parchment.

"Not necessarily," Daphne continued. "It is a listing of students whose parents we know are sympathetic to You Know Who's cause."

"Some of the names are bolded," Hermione observed.

"Those are the death eaters in training," Blaise supplied bluntly.

Hermione reviewed the list…horrified at the sheer volume of bolded names. Roughly half of the fourth through seventh year Slytherins had been highlighted.

"Why should we trust you?" Harry asked.

"You shouldn't," Daphne continued. "If I were you I would take anything we say with a grain of salt. But consider this. If we wanted to injure you we could have done it already. We've got you outnumbered."

She could tell Harry wanted to correct the Slytherin but thankfully held his tongue. He was unable to wipe the smug look off of his face however.

"Did I say something funny?" Daphne asked upon spotting Harry's smirk.

"Let's just say we aren't as trusting and naïve as you think and leave it at that," Hermione replied, attempting to diffuse the situation as quickly as possible.

Daphne nodded in acknowledgement and continued. "Astoria has explained the coins you gave to everyone in your group. She and I have a way to communicate as well. If we need to warn you or meet again we will send a message through her."

Harry nodded in acknowledgement…his expression softening in consideration at the Slytherin's apparent sincerity.

"You said you don't think Draco has involved anyone else in his plan. How can you know that?" he asked.

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask that," Daphne murmured. Whatever she was going to admit was making her uncomfortable.

"My sister and Draco are…close. He confides in her," Daphne began. "When you caught him last week she confronted him and he admitted that he was responsible for what happened to Bell and Weasley but insisted that they weren't the intended targets. He doesn't want to do whatever he has been tasked with but he says he doesn't have a choice. If he fails his parents are to be killed. He is purposely not involving anyone else."

She apparently saw the disbelief on their faces and quickly put up her hands to stop their protest. "Let me finish, please." She waited for them both to calm before continuing.

"If you believe anything I've said you need to believe that Astoria and I are definitely on your side are being honest with you. I know my family isn't like the Weasleys or Longbottoms, that we've always associated with the…traditionalists_. _But we are on your side."

Hermione snorted in derision at Daphne's carefully selected phrasing.

"Using _tradition_ as a justification for murder and oppression is-" she blurted.

"Granger," Blaise pleaded gently on Daphne's behalf, "just give Daphne a chance to explain."

She felt Harry's gentle squeeze of her hand and instantly calmed. She nodded for Daphne to continue.

"Have either of you heard of the _Tales of_ _Beedle the Bard_?"

She and Harry both shook their head no.

"It is a collection of children's stories…think of them as the wizarding equivalent of _Grimms' Fairy Tales_," Daphne supplied. "It is believed by many that they are based on actual events…my family is the basis for one of the stories."

Hermione wanted to scoff at the girl's hubris…to accuse Daphne of being just another stuck up pureblood who thought the world revolved around them and their travails. But the look of devastation on the girl's face stopped her short. It was clear Daphne took no joy in her family's infamy.

"It's about a young wizard who falls in love with a muggle girl from a nearby village. The girl's parents were afraid of the boy…scared of the strange things he was able to do. They forbade the daughter from seeing him, convinced that he was evil and was corrupting her. When the daughter refused her father took matters into his own hands and killed the boy in his sleep. The boy's father then took revenge and killed her entire family…everyone except for the girl. He purposely spared the girl so she would experience a lifetime of suffering...so she would be tormented by the loss of her family as he was by the loss of his son."

Daphne paused to gather herself…clearly affected by having to share the story. The skeptical part of Hermione wanted to think it was all an act to gain their sympathies but the girl's expression was too real…too raw. It reminded her of Harry after the graveyard…after Sirius.

"What the boy's father didn't realize was that the girl was a muggleborn witch. This girl, driven by her grief and anger, cursed the boy's family. From that point on the family was cursed to have one family member from each generation suffer and die young as penance for the father's actions."

Hermione gasped. "Are you-"

"It's Astoria," Harry interrupted before she could finish her thought. "I remember her being in the Hospital Wing a few times when I've been there. She always looked so weak..."

Daphne nodded, stubbornly wiping away the few tears that had trickled out despite her best efforts. She schooled her features before continuing.

"The fairy tale has a happy ending. Eventually one of the cursed family members selflessly sacrifices themselves to save a family of muggles and ends the curse. The happy ending is the part that makes it a fairy tale. Astoria is sick…very sick," she mumbled, breaking down a bit as the tears started once again.

As touching as the story was Hermione's logical side kicked in, demanding answers. Purposely doing her best to tread lightly with her questioning.

"I would think such a curse would make you hate muggleborns even more," she interjected, "that you would blame them for your years of suffering."

"You are right…a lot of Purebloods teach their children that the moral of the story is that muggles and muggleborns are a threat and can't be trusted. Every generation of Greengrasses before my parents have felt that way and would have been fighting for V- Voldemort. Mother and father changed all that."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

Daphne continued. "Father was a prefect in fifth year and was asked to help shepherd a transfer student from Beauxbatons for the first week of term. He met her at Kings Cross and they rode the train together. According to my father it wasn't love at first sight but it was very near it…after an hour or so he was smitten. By the time she told him she was a muggleborn he was too far gone to care. From that point on everything changed for father and they started dating a week into term despite his parents' and housemates' objections_. _When they became engaged a few years later he was nearly cast out of the family."

"Reminds me of my godfather," Harry interjected.

"Sirius Black?" Daphne asked.

"How did you-" Harry began before stopping himself.

"When my Slytherin father started dating the muggleborn Hufflepuff transfer student it was quite the scandal at Hogwarts. His housemates ostracized him and he began eating most of his meals at the Hufflepuff table. Black and your dad decided to take up his cause and befriended him and my mother. It turns out he had a cousin who'd gone through something similar a few years before. From that point on mysterious things started happening to anyone who gave him or my mother grief for dating," she mused, smiling for the first time since she had begun her tale.

"Father was shocked when he betrayed your parents. He said he and your father were closer than-"

"He didn't," Harry interrupted uncomfortably. "Sirius was innocent."

"Was?" Blaise prompted.

"He was killed last year by death eaters," Hermione interjected, wanting to spare Harry from having to relive the memory. "The Ministry had it wrong. He was always loyal to the Potters…to Harry."

"But third year…the break in at Hogwarts-"

"He was trying to protect Harry," she continued, failing at hiding her own emotions. "He loved Harry and was trying to protect him…always."

A prolonged silence pervaded the room as both parties realized they had shared more than they'd ever imagined. Eventually Daphne resumed her story.

"Astoria has every right to be mad at both sides but she is the exact opposite. She is a Hufflepuff through and through. If you believe anything you need to believe that. As much as she wants to help Draco she will do everything in her power to stop him and has told him as much. Between his failures and your group Astoria thinks Draco is resigned to his fate and has given up on whatever he was working on.

Astoria has a blind spot for Draco and believes in him but we aren't so sure he's given up. Your group needs to keep at it and you need to protect yourself. I swear to you, we sincerely want to help. Too many people have died already."

"Would you be willing to sign something stating as much?" she asked.

"You want to give us the Edgecombe treatment?" Daphne joked. "As long as the wording of the agreement is fair we will _all_ sign." It appeared that Blaise wanted to protest but remained silent at Daphne's pointed glare.

Hermione realized how long they had been talking and looked at her watch. "It's getting near curfew. Thank you for the information. I'm sorry about your sister…" she said, feeling stupid at how insignificant her words sounded.

Daphne nodded. "I'm sorry too. About…everything." She turned her focus toward Harry. "Is it all right if I tell father about Sirius Black's innocence?"

"Yeah," Harry muttered.

Daphne nodded her thanks as she picked up her wand and moved toward the exit. "Just do yourself a favor and don't let on to Astoria that you know about her condition. If she catches you feeling sorry for her she's liable to hex you. Then she'll hex me for telling you."

"We can meet in a week and sign your agreement…same time and place," Blaise informed as the group exited the room.

After the Slytherin trio departed Ron and Lavender appeared, handing the cloak back to Harry. Ron appeared to be deep in thought and it was clear Lavender had been crying. The group began their walk back to Gryffindor in silence before Lavender spoke.

"I'm sorry about your godfather, Harry," she offered, her voice choking on the words.

"S'all right," he managed.

"Mum has a copy of the book Gree- Daphne was talking about, Hermione," Ron interjected. "I could ask her to send it if you'd like."

"I'd like that," Hermione replied. "So I take it you believe her?"

Ron shrugged. "She looked pretty miserable. I'm not sure how you could fake that.

Mum said the point of the story was fear and ignorance caused the conflict…not magic," he muttered, "and that both sides were so focused on their own problems and grief they didn't consider that the other side was suffering just as much or more."

"The grass is always greener…" Hermione mumbled to herself as they quietly trekked back to Gryffindor.


	16. Chapter 16

The next week was busy as Hermione focused all of her free time on finishing the mirrors. After the revelations from the Emerald Trio it was now more imperative than ever to have as many ways of communicating as possible.

The Slytherins had barraged them with so much information that the breadth of what was shared did not fully sink in until the next day at breakfast. She looked across the hall and spotted multiple faces…many of which she had interacted with over the years…who now actively meant her harm. The tangibility was unsettling.

While Hermione worked on putting the final touches on the mirror project Harry seemed to be obsessed with protecting her…insistently remaining at her side whenever possible as he did his best to put the faces to all the names on the list and monitor their behaviors and patterns. The good news was that none of the death eaters in training had attempted to infiltrate the _Hogwarts Defense Force_. The bad news was a few of the _maybes _had signed up for duty.

So while she worked on the mirrors Harry wondered how much more the _Marauder's Map_ was capable of doing. A quick missive was sent off to Remus asking whether the map could be modified to track specific people. A few days later they received a cryptic reply.

_Just ask the map. Make sure to mention who your dad is. You may have to be a bit patient…_

So that is how it came to be that she and Harry snuck out of the Gryffindor common room (again) after curfew (again) and into a nearby classroom. Hermione's time spent as a rule enforcing prefect seemed like so long ago.

"Er..." Harry began after tapping the map with his wand, "this is the son of Prongs and I'd like to track a few specific people on the map."

_Mr. Padfoot would like to know if you are a specky git like Mr. Prongs? And what girl would be desperate enough to conceive Mr. Prongs' spawn?_

"Uh…yeah…I wear glasses too. My mum is Lily Potter…Lily Evans."

There was a longer pause before more writing appeared.

_The girl that Mr. Prongs insists on calling Mrs. Prongs actually became Mrs. Prongs? Mr. Moony doesn't believe you._

_Neither does Mr. Wormtail._

_Or Mr. Padfoot._

_Mr. Prongs never had a doubt._

Hermione felt her patience wearing thin. It was like talking to four versions of the Weasley twins. She wasn't sure how Harry's mother put up with it, let alone decided to marry one. She quickly tapped the map and began speaking.

"This is the girlfriend of Mr. Prongs' son. We need your help and don't have time to mess around proving who we are. Mr. Prongs is James Potter. Mr. Moony is Remus Lupin. Mr. Padfoot is Sirius Black. Mr. Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew. Remus is a werewolf and the other nicknames are based on your animagus forms."

After a long pause the map once again sprung to life.

_Mr. Prongs suggests you take a breath. Also, he is glad to see his son has carried on the tradition of courting strong willed women._

_And by 'strong willed' Mr. Prongs actually means slightly ins-_

"Are you going to help us or not?" Hermione interrupted, fully grinning now.

_Mr. Moony apologizes on behalf of the Marauders and asks for you to speak the names you would like tracked slowly and clearly. The names will be listed in red until you cancel the enchantment._

"Thank you," Hermione replied in relief. As Harry began reciting the names Hermione wondered what other knowledge the map held. Remus unfortunately had not been too involved with creating the mirrors and there were a few small things she needed to tweak before they were ready to go. She waited until Harry completed listing the names before changing the topic.

"Can you answer questions about the communication mirrors you created?" she asked hopefully.

_Mr. Padfoot can._

"Really?"

_Mr. Prongs was there and still finds it hard to comprehend that Mr. Padfoot was the one to sort out the mirrors._

_Mr. Padfoot is now sticking two fingers-_

"Anyway," Hermione interrupted forcefully, "can you explain how you were able to synchronize the image and sound…"

* * *

With the mirrors now fully functional Ron and Lavender were dispatched to a nearby classroom instead of under the invisibility cloak for their follow up meeting with the Slytherins. Surprisingly there was one additional student waiting for them when they arrived. Hermione was reminded of Ron and Ginny at their worst as she watched the two sisters glaring daggers at each other.

Hermione wasn't sure what to say to the Hufflepuff…now knowing her horrific secret. She imagined this was how most people felt when meeting Harry for the first time. Thankfully the young girl quickly initiated the conversation before she or Harry could say anything.

"I know Daphne told you about my condition and relationship with Draco and I'm willing to sign whatever you've prepared to prove I'm on your side," she blurted, never taking her eyes off of Daphne.

Daphne looked supremely irritated. "You shouldn't be here, Tori. It isn't safe-"

While Daphne's glare had been highly effective with Zabini it only seemed to spur her sister on even more.

"And _you_ shouldn't have told them about my condition, Daphne," Astoria replied, matching her glare.

"Just calm down," Tracey interrupted brusquely. It was clear that she had been stuck in the middle of the two multiple times in the past. She wondered if this was what Harry felt like having to manage her petty squabbles with Ron.

"We didn't tell anyone else," Harry assured.

"Are you sure about that?" Astoria replied, shooting him a slightly muted version of the glare saved for her sister. "I only sorted it out that you knew because Hermione and Lavender Brown keep staring at me at every meal."

Hermione felt her face warm in embarrassment. She thought she had been subtle…clearly she was incorrect.

"I told you that in confidence," Daphne interjected as she stared at them, betrayal evident in her voice.

"Harry isn't lying," Hermione replied in an effort to calm the situation as much as possible. She realized what a personal risk Daphne had taken last week and that she and Harry needed to reciprocate.

"Do you remember when Harry told you we weren't as outnumbered as you thought last week? Lavender and Ron Weasley were listening in and heard everything we talked about."

All three Slytherins quickly cast _Hominum Revelio_…immediately becoming frustrated and confused at their fruitless efforts.

Daphne folded her arms and glared. "I don't believe you. I cast several silencing charms before you arrived last week so unless someone was in the room no-one could have heard a thing. If we are going to work together we need to be hon-"

Her speech was interrupted as a silvery Jack Russell Terrier bounded into the room and began speaking. "Hermione is telling the truth and Lavender is sorry about the staring," the voice of Ron Weasley informed dully.

Silence reigned as the Slytherins' jaws threatened to break through the floor. It was clear that they were having difficulty reconciling the fact that they'd been outwitted by a group of Gryffindors.

"Was that…a Patronus?" Blaise asked dumbly.

Harry nodded.

"And it…talked?" Daphne mumbled, all semblance of her normal composure gone.

"They've sorted out how to send messages with them," Astoria answered.

Eventually Tracey began laughing…very loudly. Astoria seemed torn between staying angry at her secret being revealed and amused at her sister being so thoroughly flummoxed. Blaise looked contemplative…pondering this bizarre new reality.

"I don't suppose you'd be willing to share how Weasley and Brown are listening in?" Blaise asked as Daphne began stalking the room with her wand outstretched…desperately attempting to solve the mystery. As she continued to mutter incantations her non-wand hand remained outstretched, trying to feel for invisible eavesdroppers.

"No," Harry replied, now amused. "All I will say is we didn't cast any enchantments and there is no-one else in the room, Daphne, so you can stop searching." He turned to look at Astoria.

"No-one besides the four of us knows your secret and I swear to you we will keep it that way," he declared.

"Thank you," Astoria replied with a nod, "just do me a favor and stop looking at me like you want to burst into tears on my behalf. I get enough of that from my family."

"If you stopped being so pigheaded we wouldn't-"

"So let's see this agreement you want us to sign," Tracey smoothly interrupted…not wanting to let the two sisters build up a head of steam again. Hermione made a mental note to apologize to Harry later for having to deal with her and Ron's nonsense.

After a few minor adjustments all four quickly signed. They were all set to leave before Astoria stopped them.

"He's given up," she declared dully. The _he_ in question was obvious.

"Astoria, that's just your heart talking…hoping that he's finally-" Daphne interjected before her sister forcefully ploughed on.

"It's got nothing to do with _that_," she continued. "Whatever he was working on was the only plan he had left and our group has made it impossible for him to continue without involving others and endangering other students. He doesn't want that."

"_Such a humanitarian_…" Harry grumbled sarcastically. Hermione knew she should scold him but couldn't manage it as she felt the same way. It was too little too late and it felt like he was only quitting because they had forced him into it.

Astoria ignored the comment. "I think he is going to leave Hogwarts soon but he is worried for his parents. They _will_ be punished for his failure."

She felt like saying _good _or _about time_ but pushed back on the urge.

"Why are you telling us this?" Harry asked. "It isn't our fault."

"I _know_," Astoria replied…her annoyance growing. "In case you've forgotten I've just signed a magical document vowing my allegiance," she replied fiercely.

"It's my fault," she eventually continued, her voice now wavering. "I convinced him to run…that he didn't owe his parents anything. I just wanted you to know when he disappeared that it wasn't a trick."

"If you're trying to make me feel sorry for him-"

"I'm not!" she replied…the fire in her voice returning. "Draco is selfish and immature and I know he's been awful to you…" she drifted off, unwilling or unable to explain.

"He used to be nice," Daphne supplied, "but that was a long time ago. Draco's father was, _is_, awful…and his mother is a coward. He's inherited the worst of his parents. It's not all his fault that-"

"Yes it is," Astoria interrupted sadly. She suddenly looked very weak…tired.

"When he runs it will be the last you see of him," she continued matter of factly. "He's terrified and wants nothing to do with V- Voldemort. He's going to flee the country or die trying."

_A coward to the end_, Hermione mused. She wasn't surprised in the least.

* * *

As they skulked back to Gryffindor the next day Hermione fought the urge to destroy anything and everything in their path. "He didn't even care!" she repeated angrily for what felt like the millionth time during their journey from Dumbledore's office. Harry remained calm which only served to aggravate her more.

"He did care. It's fine," Harry _finally_ responded.

"It's _not_ fine," she admonished. "He barely acknowledged the list we gave him! Why aren't you angrier?"

Harry shrugged. "You wouldn't know because you haven't talked to him as much this year…but he's different now. He used to sound disappointed in me….like I wasn't doing enough. Now it's…different."

"Different how?" she demanded.

"Like he's disappointed in himself. _We_ found a Horcrux…_we_ are fighting back against Malfoy and have other people helping us…we're messing with his plans…" he offered before trailing off.

"Why doesn't he just tell us his plan then?" she asked indignantly.

Harry shrugged again and gave a sad chuckle. "I have no idea."

"It's so infuriating!" she protested once again. Harry was smirking now. "What's so funny?"

"You sound like me last year. Like a smarter version of me," he quickly added at her pointed glare. "Its weird…_me_ trying to calm _you _down," he added as he pulled her closer.

She shrunk into his side and relaxed…not quite wanting to vocalize how well it was working.

"I think we should work on your flying this afternoon," he interjected as they approached Gryffindor.

In one sentence Harry had destroyed all of his hard work in calming her nerves.

"Why on earth do you think I would want to do that now?"

_Or ever_, she silently finished her thought.

"It's relaxing," he answered with a shrug. "It will be a good way to get your mind off Dumbledore. You'll see," he said reassuringly as they stepped into the common room. "Besides it isn't about doing what you want…it's about being practical and doing the smart thing."

She really hated when Harry used her own speeches against her because not only was he right she couldn't even get properly annoyed with him…because his stupid speech was always followed with a grin. She really loved it when he grinned.

"To _you_, Harry. It's relaxing to you. Besides…it's not safe," she countered. "We'd be sitting ducks out on the pitch by ourselves." She was exceedingly proud of herself at coming up with an excuse based solely on logic. Her reluctance definitely had nothing to do with her abject fear of those cursed sticks of wood. Definitely.

"Good point," Harry agreed before spotting Ron and Lavender. "Oi! Can you two come with us down to the Quidditch pitch in a few minutes? I'm going to help Hermione with her flying."

Shit.

It was as if Harry had provided Ron with the greatest gift imaginable. "Absolutely!" he exclaimed, pulling Lavender up from the couch.

Before she could protest that only having two people as backup would still be risky Ron began circling the common room, speaking to the other sixth year students milling about. As they looked her way and nodded she knew she was doomed. They were all too pleased at the prospect of _helping_. She fought the urge to curse them all.

Everything seemed to start moving in slow motion as she watched Harry discreetly hand the map over to a now beaming Ron. Lavender shot her a piteous look of sympathy and she realized her day of reckoning had come.

"This is really happening isn't it?" she muttered in defeat.

"You'll be fine, I promise," Harry reassured once again. "I've got it all sorted."

"That's what worries me," she mumbled.

* * *

Harry had been right about one thing. As she hovered in the air, desperately clutching Harry's broom, Dumbledore was the furthest thing from her mind. Unfortunately her thoughts were now consumed with the ground that she was positive they would be plunging into very soon. The Gryffindors scattered in the stands that were most assuredly smirking at her ineptitude only added to the annoyance. Even having Harry sitting behind her on the broom and only being a few feet off the ground weren't helping.

He'd let her try taking a few laps without instruction and it had been a disaster. Full of stuttering stops and starts…uneasiness and failure. She really hated_ failure_.

"Start teaching," she finally ordered, desperate to start failing slightly less.

"Close your eyes," he eventually instructed in a tone that brooked no argument. It reminded her of what she sounded like when _helping_ Harry. She immediately complied.

"I've been trying to think of the best way to explain how to fly and the closest feeling I could come up with is when you and I are alone…_together_-"

She knew immediately what he meant by _together. _She loved it when they were together. So much. She snapped herself out of her daydreaming.

"Harry, this isn't the time or _place," _she replied, trying to think of anything but Harry's hands that were now lightly gripping her waist.

She'd read a book once with a similar scene…the grip had been described as being a bit tighter and the characters hadn't been on a broom, they were- She forced herself to focus.

Harry ignored her and continued. "Sometimes we take our time…sometimes we are more…_aggressive_…but it still _feels_ the same…brilliant but…different. When it's happening I don't think about anything else."

Despite her nerves Hermione felt herself leaning into Harry a bit more as she briefly lost herself in Harry's description. After several blessed moments of contemplation she once again remembered that she was floating on a stick and immediately sat a bit straighter.

"Harry, I don't-"

"Flying is the same way, Hermione. You're having trouble because you keep wanting to stop. You need to stop worrying about the ground below you and focus on the air in front of you. Just focus on what you are doing and where you are headed. Now open your eyes and try again," he instructed.

Hermione opened her eyes and thought over Harry's words. She leaned back into Harry and allowed herself once again to briefly think about his hands gripping her protectively. While her pace was slow and she remained near the ground the jerking and hesitancy had ceased.

"Brilliant," she heard Harry softly murmur in her ear. "Now a little bit higher and faster," he gently commanded. She gulped and did her best to comply. As she slowly increased her speed and elevation Harry continued his instruction.

"Can you feel the breeze on your face now? In your hair? It's nice isn't it?" he asked.

He was right…it was rather nice. She focused on the sensation…how it felt a bit like when Harry played with her hair…the beautiful view of Hogwarts in front of her. She pushed herself a bit higher…a bit faster.

She vaguely heard the congratulatory cheering from the stands but purposely avoided looking down…doing her best to heed Harry's instructions and focus on what was ahead of her. As they circled the pitch she spotted a familiar tower in her periphery and grinned despite herself…remembering another flight a few years ago where she had hung on to Harry for dear life. She had been terrified at the time yet somehow knew she was perfectly safe…because she was with Harry and they had a goal in front of them that was more important.

She stared at the tower and reveled in the safety and reassurance of Harry's hands on her waist…the feel of the breeze on her face…and finally started _flying._

Harry's _whoop_ of excitement spurred her on. She knew that her speed was nothing compared to Harry's normal pace but that was beside the point. The tower…_their _tower…was getting closer…because she had listened to and trusted Harry.

Before she knew it…before she lost her nerve…she had made it. They had landed and were now sitting together…hand in hand…their legs dangling over the edge. She put her head on his shoulder and let herself daydream about flying with Harry…nothing fast or outrageous…just flying…maybe teaching their children someday. It felt so unreal…an impossible and unfathomable goal…but so had the idea of her managing to get them up here on her own.

"You did really well," he complimented.

"You're a good teacher," she mumbled…closing her eyes and focusing on the feel of the breeze.

Emboldened by her success Hermione brought up something that had been niggling at her brain recently.

"Harry. Do you know how you were talking about us being _together_?" she asked.

"Yeah?" he offered…unsure of where she was headed.

"I think I'm ready for us to be together. _Really_ together. Do you know what I mean by really together?"

"Yes," he managed to squeak out before clearing his throat. "I just figured…you'd want to wait awhile for that…so it would be special."

"You mean like candles and rose petals?" she asked with a giggle.

"Something like that," he muttered.

"I don't care about that," she informed, "and I don't think we need to plan anything out. I just mean the next time we're _together_ and it feels right I think we should-"

"Be together," he nearly breathed. "That sounds…great. Really great."

She fought the urge to giggle again and looked out into the horizon…reveling in this final bit of peace.

"We should probably head back down…the others will be wondering where we've gone to," Harry eventually mumbled, reluctance clear in his voice.

She nodded into his shoulder before finally allowing herself to look down. Her stomach lurched.

"You can take us back down," she murmured before pulling his face toward her. As successful as the lesson had been she still much preferred being_ together_ over flying.


	17. Chapter 17

It took a full week before Astoria Greengrass' prediction came to fruition. Hermione and Harry had continued to monitor Draco on the map and his pattern of behavior had remained unchanged. He still paced his room…he still kept his head down at meals and in class…he still looked thoroughly lost and miserable. Until Saturday morning.

They didn't spot Draco at breakfast but there were no announcements made and the Slytherin table seemed to be acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She'd been much better at not looking at Astoria after the girl's reprimand but Hermione couldn't help herself that morning. The friendly, enthusiastic girl she was used to seeing was nowhere to be found as the Hufflepuff's eyes remained glued to her food and rarely spoke.

The only bit of excitement was Pigwidgeon struggling mightily but successfully delivering Mrs. Weasley's copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard _during that morning's post delivery. "Mum apologizes for the delay," Ron informed as he read the accompanying letter and continued to eat, "the ghoul had made a mess of the things stored in the attic and it took her a bit to find it in the piles."

Dumbledore and Snape were notable by their absence, lending even more credence to their conclusion that Draco had made his escape. She received confirmation of this as she and Harry were waiting on Ron to finish his second helping.

"Mister Potter, Miss Granger, the Headmaster would like to speak to you," Professor McGonagall intoned behind their shoulder.

"When?" Harry asked.

"Now," she replied, brooking no argument. They quickly stood and followed their head of house, receiving a silent nod of support from Ron. Lavender did her best to smile encouragingly but looked slightly terrified on their behalf.

All eyes were on the trio as they left the hall and Hermione felt an odd sense of exhilaration as she realized that Dumbledore now saw Harry and her as a singular unit. She felt Harry grip her hand a bit tighter as the gargoyle came into view and vowed once again not to let him down.

They entered the room to find Dumbledore sitting at his desk, the picture of calm, and the Slytherin head of house pacing behind him, clearly furious at recent events.

"Thank you for coming," Dumbledore intoned pleasantly as he motioned for them to take a seat. Hermione felt the urge to point out that they weren't exactly given a choice but held her tongue.

"Is this about Malfoy's disappearance?" Harry stated bluntly. The headmaster remained calm while Snape looked murderous.

"You are indeed correct, Harry," Dumbledore continued. "We were wondering if you could shed some light on Mr. Malfoy's whereabouts."

She and Harry had a week to discuss what to share with the headmaster if Draco actually did flee the castle and they'd decided that being as honest as possible was the best option.

"I can't tell you how we confirmed it but we were right," Harry began dully. "Malfoy was responsible for Katie and Ron almost dying and he was working on another plan in the Room of Requirement. Now that we've stopped him from whatever he was scheming he is running for his life…running from Voldemort."

"I don't believe you," Snape spit. "What have you and your vigilantes done?"

"He's telling the truth, and we _aren't_ vigilantes. We sit in a _hallway_," Hermione interjected in annoyance. For the first time that she could recall the _Potter sneer_ was directed at her in full force. Snape quickly moved back to his normal target.

"Tell us what you know and how you know it," Snape continued. She'd never seen him so desperate.

Harry ignored him and turned his gaze downward at their enjoined hands, waiting for the headmaster to speak. She and Harry had agreed that he in particular should avoid engaging Professor Snape whenever possible.

While the silence grew Dumbledore seemed jolted to attention when he spotted the book of fables in her hand. It was subtle and it didn't last long but he definitely looked alarmed.

"Do you have any idea what he was planning or where he might have gone?" Dumbledore asked eventually, glancing at her hand once again.

"No. He did a runner. That's all we know," Harry answered simply.

"Would you tell us where he was planning to go even if you knew?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry paused as he considered what to say. As she waited for his answer she pondered what she would do if asked such a question. Harry's response didn't surprise her in the slightest.

"You'd try to bring him back here so probably not."

"We are on the same side, Harry," the headmaster pleaded.

"I know that. _We_ know that. But you don't _listen_. And you aren't honest about the reasons why."

"Harry-"

"Have there been any actions taken against the students on the list we gave you?" Hermione interjected, wanting to change the topic.

"With no proof of any wrongdoing there is little we can do," Dumbledore answered tiredly, "but the list has been distributed to all faculty members and we are monitoring everyone as best as we can."

It was all they could expect really. Dumbledore was right…without any tangible proof it was the best he could do.

Dumbledore removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He looked so old and the curse that had withered his hand seemed to have spread a bit further than the last time she'd been in his office.

"You two should be prepared," Dumbledore instructed gravely. "If your suspicions are correct about other students seeking retaliation their resolve will be tenfold now that you have succeeded."

"Congratulations, Potter. You've brought the war to Hogwarts," Snape said derisively.

She knew Harry wanted to reply but prayed that he wouldn't. Nothing could be gained by pointing out that Voldemort had been attached to the back of their Defense professor's head in their first year…or that a death eater had smuggled Voldemort's sentient Horcrux into Hogwarts when they were twelve…the list of examples that Harry could retort with seemed unending. She wasn't aware of it at the time but she'd been fighting against large swaths of the wizarding world from the first time she and her parents stepped into Diagon Alley and were met with disgust and antipathy simply for existing within the bigots' orbit.

She squeezed his hand tightly, hoping he would get her rather forceful hint to hold his tongue. Based on the slight wince and grunt her message had been successfully delivered. He eventually grinned and she fought the urge to grin as well. She failed.

It appeared that Snape was taking their smiles personally and had more to say on the topic. He was cut off before he could comment further.

"I believe that is enough, _Severus_," McGonagall intoned, paying attention to forcefully emphasize the use of his first name. She stood and motioned for them to do so as well.

Hermione stood immediately while Harry remained seated, surprised at McGonagall's forceful action. He waited for Dumbledore's nod of agreement before rising and heading for the door.

"Please be careful," Dumbledore instructed gravely as they exited the room.

Ron and Lavender were waiting for them in the hallway as they passed by the gargoyle. Ron looked thoroughly nonplussed while Lavender seemed to be desperately fighting the urge to shriek in relief.

"Mr. Weasley, Miss Brown, I would suggest you return to the Gryffindor common room. I need to speak privately with these two but I assure you they will return in one piece. I would normally award you points for your loyalty but as I understand it that sort of thing is frowned upon these days," McGonagall smirked.

Harry raised a questioning eyebrow toward her and Hermione gave an answering shrug of her shoulders. She had no idea what the Deputy Headmistress needed to discuss.

The journey to McGonagall's office was made in silence, the monotony broken only by the curious stares of the people they passed along the way. Quickly enough they arrived and tea was served before McGonagall fixed them with her best stare.

"Now that your group has succeeded what are your plans?" McGonagall asked bluntly.

"Our plans?" she replied in confusion.

"With your group," she answered. "What are your plans for your group? The Headmaster is right to be concerned. You and anyone who has joined your cause is a target for retaliation."

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly, clearly annoyed.

"Well I suggest you figure it out. You've involved your fellow students, you've put them at risk," McGonagall replied brusquely.

"That isn't fair," Hermione objected.

"Just leave it, Hermione," Harry said calmly as he stood, "she doesn't care that we were right. Dumbledore is disappointed so she is disappointed."

He paused and turned his attention back to their head of house. "I actually thought you wanted to help."

"Sit down, Potter," McGonagall ordered. "_Now_."

Harry grudgingly complied and waited for her to continue.

"Let me be clear. I am tremendously proud of you both for your actions over the last few months. But actions have consequences and you must now be willing to deal with the consequences of your actions," she informed bluntly.

She waited for their affirming nods before continuing.

"Ranty!" McGonagall called and an elderly elf appeared almost instantly.

"Is Mistress Minny needing more tea?" the elf asked and Hermione fought the urge to voice her displeasure.

"No, Ranty, we are fine. I was hoping you could share with Mister Potter and Miss Granger what has been happening with the Hogwarts house elves recently," McGonagall requested as she conjured a small chair for the elf.

"Ranty does not understand," replied in confusion as she took the proffered seat.

"In regards to Dobby," McGonagall prompted, causing the elf to scowl immediately.

"Dobby is telling other elves what he is doing to help Harry Potter and the Hat Maker," the elf muttered in annoyance. "Now elves always be arguing!"

"Arguing?" Hermione asked.

The elf nodded vigorously. "Some elves agree with Dobby and are staying up to help Harry Potter and the Hat Maker when they should be sleeping. Others are mad because the helping elves are tired all the time. So elves argue all day when they should be working. Ranty is wishing everyone would just be quiet and work!"

They were subjected to an additional ten minutes of Ranty, there was no other word for it, _ranting_ about bad elves speaking on topics when and where they shouldn't be. The elf was very passionate.

"Was that supposed to make us feel guilty?" Harry asked once the elf eventually popped out of sight.

"No, Potter. It is meant to show you the ripple effects of your actions…actions which, as I have stated, I am proud of you for taking. But you need to understand that people are looking to you for guidance and that will not end now that the situation with Mr. Malfoy has been handled.

So I will ask again and I would like you to come up with a better response. What are your plans for your group?"

Harry looked at her determinedly before replying. "I reckon we should sort that out as soon as possible."

"That, Mr. Potter, is the answer I've been waiting for."

* * *

And they did. They spent the evening updating the other members of Ministry Six and Lavender of Draco's escape and the warnings they'd been given from Dumbledore and their head of house. They'd quickly come up with a plan of action and a set of talking points to discuss with the Hogwarts Defense Force.

As with most things that involved Harry it went spectacularly sideways almost from the off. Their meeting with the HDF had barely begun before she'd felt their control of the proceedings rapidly slipping away. She should have known by the overly excited cheers when they'd confirmed that Malfoy had most likely run away what was about to happen.

"So although Malfoy seems to be out of the picture we can't be sure that no-one else in the castle might not try and continue with his plan. So we're going to keep up with the shifts in front of the room and we are going to increase the groups from three to five at a time."

"If Malfoy is out of the picture than why are more people needed?" a Hufflepuff asked.

She watched Harry take a breath. Things were about to get very interesting.

"We're worried others may try to retaliate now that we've stopped Malfoy."

"So you're saying there are more death eaters at Hogwarts?" someone interjected.

"What do you think?" Ron replied, clearly annoyed at the question.

"If there are others at Hogwarts we should be doing more to stop them!" someone in the back shouted, drawing cheers from throughout the group.

"We are aware of other students that may be loyal to Voldemort…we've provided the names of who we suspect to the Headmaster and the Hogwarts staff is monitoring the students. The extra students watching the room are just an added precaution," she informed the crowd.

"How do you know that?" someone else shouted. Hermione noted that the group seemed much more emboldened than past meetings and did her best NOT to look at Astoria.

"We can't tell you that," Harry interjected, drawing angry murmurings throughout the crowd.

"We want to know!" another voice shouted and their comment was instantly met with a chorus of agreement. Hermione remembered Professor Snape's angry words and realized what he had predicted was developing in front of her eyes.

"We aren't vigilantes!" she admonished above the rumblings. "We have no proof beyond our suspicions and we can't go after other students without more to go on," she replied with as much conviction as she could manage.

The issue of whether to disclose the names publicly had caused the most disagreement in their earlier meeting. Neville and, surprisingly, Lavender, had been the most adamant that everyone had the right to know who to be wary of. In the end, however, it was agreed that doing so would cause more harm than good and could potentially jeopardize Daphne, Tracey and Blaise.

"Who are you to make that decision?" a seventh year Ravenclaw said in a near shout.

Before she or Harry could answer someone else spoke up on their behalf.

"They didn't," Lavender tentatively replied. We came to the decision together as a group."

Hermione heard a few muttered laughs and noises of protest amongst the crowd and realized she would have most likely been joining in as well a few months prior. She hadn't studied _Legilimency _but she could easily discern the crowd's thoughts.

_Why should this girl…a girl who has always been more concerned about cosmetic charms and Witch Weekly quizzes…be making decisions on our behalf?_

And while the crowd had every right to be upset at the decision they had no right to take it out on Lavender. She gave the girl a grateful smile for her support.

"If you don't want to be here then leave, I'll be happy to take up a few extra shifts," Neville replied, giving a nod of support to Lavender. "Harry and Hermione made the decision after talking it over with the people they trust. If you weren't asked for your input that says more about you than it does about the people they trust."

"Neville, it's all right," Harry attempted to interject.

"No it's not!" he answered before turning his attention back to the crowd. "Anyone else have something to say about the decisions _we _have made?"

While many in the group still looked angry or concerned they all remained silent. Neville nodded for the meeting to continue and sat back down.

"Ginny?" Harry prodded, wanting to move on as quickly as possible.

"Right," Ginny began, "now that we've gotten that out of the way let's discuss what we've planned for this week's Defense lessons…"

The next few days were relatively peaceful save for a few additional skirmishes in the halls as suspected death eaters in training and Hogwarts Defense Force members verbally sparred in the hallways between classes. It reminded Hermione of the atmosphere immediately after Harry's name had emerged from the Goblet of Fire. But the snipes and glares were much more sinister now…miles beyond the childish _Potter Stinks_ badges and jelly legs jinxes in fourth year. The Tri Wizard Tournament seemed like so long ago…

As the tensions in the castle mounted Harry seemed to become more and more reserved…the weight of the decisions they had made affecting him more than anyone. Despite the support she and their friends had provided it was never enough to convince him that he wasn't to blame for everything awful that had happened.

"Goyle and Crabbe are in the hospital wing," Ginny informed them gravely as she joined them for breakfast Thursday morning.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Demelza said they were brought in last night while she was volunteering. From what she overheard the professors thought they had been ambushed after their detention."

"How bad was it?" Harry prompted.

Ginny's expression turned grim. "There was a lot of damage. Pomfrey said they would eventually recover but they wouldn't be leaving the hospital wing anytime soon."

Hermione did her best to process how she felt about the news. It was hard to feel sympathy for those two knowing how gleeful they would be if she or Harry had ended up in hospital but she could not deny the sense of unease the news had brought. Although she still didn't agree with how the headmaster had handled the situation she now profoundly felt the weight involved in being the one making the decisions.

McGonagall's words on _ripple effects_ echoed in her consciousness and her stomach sank. She knew the ripples had just begun.

She grabbed Harry's free hand under the table and gave it a squeeze of assurance. Whether she was trying to assure Harry or herself she wasn't quite able to determine.

* * *

As the day progressed the news of the attack began to spread throughout the castle and Harry became more and more withdrawn. Hermione barely paid attention to the class lectures…her mind focused on the rumblings within the castle and Harry's state of mind.

They both remained relatively silent as they methodically attended classes and ate their evening meal. The talking and thinking and _worrying_ over the last few days were taking their toll.

The oppressive silence of the Gryffindor common room that evening was unbearable as she attempted to read more of Beedle's tales. She'd wanted to scan through the other stories to find some clue as to why the Headmaster had reacted so oddly the other the day but ended up only pretending to read a story about three brothers while she watched Harry pretending to read the Half Blood Prince's book. She looked at _their_ couch and fought the urge to curse the students selfishly relaxing in its loving embrace. She needed to be with Harry. Only Harry.

"Where is your invisibility cloak?" she asked, pulling Harry out of his thoughts.

"In my bag. Why?"

She stowed her book away and pulled Harry up from his seat. "Our couch is taken but I know where we can make our own."

Fifteen minutes later they'd reached their destination and quickly relieved Dobby of his monitoring duties for the foreseeable future. She felt Harry's arm drape over her shoulder and she immediately buried herself into his side, instantly relaxing. As the minutes passed Hermione felt her stress and worries temporarily fading into the background.

She'd nearly drifted off to sleep when she was roused by Harry's voice.

"I'm scared," he stated simply.

She idly reached for the hand on her shoulder and twined her fingers with his.

"Me too," she replied.

A few minutes later he spoke once again. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"I know," she answered softly, sitting up and gently removing Harry's glasses. She carefully folded them up and placed them on a nearby table.

"I'm terrified something is going to happen to you," he mumbled as he pulled her closer.

"I feel the same about you," she replied quietly as she began kissing up his jaw line.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he murmured into her ear, his breath sending shivers down her spine.

She thought once again about ripple effects…her parents striking up a conversation in a hotel bar…asking Harry to Slughorn's Christmas party...how she had somehow become even more desperately devoted to Harry…that tomorrow wasn't guaranteed.

Before she could talk herself out of it Hermione started unbuttoning her shirt. She looked into Harry's questioning eyes and her heart stilled. They were together and it felt right and tomorrow wasn't guaranteed.

_Ripple effects_

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"No more talking, Harry," she replied, unable to suppress her grin.

Harry finished the sentence for her, now sporting his own smile.

"It's our night off."


	18. Chapter 18

Hermione stared in the mirror and pondered how remarkably normal everything seemed that morning…the morning _after_. Her roommates were all peacefully sleeping as she prepared for her daily pre dawn vigil…Voldemort was still out there lurking…and she was still terrified for Harry's safety. Everything was sadly and distressingly normal.

She'd expected to feel fundamentally different but had been wrong on that count as well. She was still Hermione and he was still Harry…they'd been through so much together that nothing could throw them off their moors at this point. Last night had merely made them fuller…more complete. And she couldn't wait to feel _complete_ again. Last night had given her yet another glimpse into what normalcy could and should be.

Like many things involving Harry she had been utterly terrified at the beginning…and as usual all her careful planning and study seemed to go out the window immediately when Harry started _improvising_. This indelible relationship dynamic had been established long ago…she was very good at planning and Harry was very good at improvising. That dynamic had served them well last night…most especially the second time. She felt a profound sense of exhilaration as she mused on what round three would entail.

"Everything all right, dear?" her mirror chimed in. Apparently seeing Hermione off her typical efficient and structured morning routine had thrown her enchanted companion a bit.

"Fine, fine…just had a bit of a late night," she replied pleasantly.

"Looks like it was a good one," her mirror replied knowingly.

Hermione idly realized she'd been smiling as she mused on her 'late night.'

"It really was," she answered as she pulled her hair into a ponytail, ignoring the mirror's mild 'tsk' of disapproval. She'd wasted too much time daydreaming about the prior evening and wanted to see Harry again. Besides, she liked it and Harry liked it. That was all that mattered.

To her surprise Harry wasn't alone in the common room when she arrived. Neville and Ginny were there as well.

"We realized you two have a predictable routine like Crabbe and Goyle," Neville supplied before she could ask. "It's not safe for you two to go to the Room by yourselves every morning. We wanted to talk to you about it last night but you disappeared on us."

"I told them we have the map-"

"And we told _you_," Ginny interrupted as she glared at Harry, "that it's still safer if there are five of us rather than two."

"Five?"

"We're fetching Luna along the way," Neville informed happily. "She insisted. Quite excited about it actually."

"While you're at it why don't you grab Ron and Lavender as well? Round up the whole gang," Harry muttered in annoyance.

"They'll be taking our place tomorrow," Ginny informed with a smirk. "You didn't think that Neville and I were going to get up this early every day did you?"

Neville laughed. Harry scowled.

"They're right," Hermione agreed sadly. Her quiet mornings alone with Harry had quickly become her favorite part of the day, but the peace within Hogwarts' walls had come to an end and allowances needed to be made regardless of how annoying and intrusive they were. Based on how defeated Harry looked it was clear that he felt the same.

"Fine," Harry mumbled as he scanned the map and reached for her hand, "everything looks clear. Let's go…and thanks."

* * *

The good news was that today was a Friday. The bad news was their last class of the day was Defence. She'd already been dreading this class since Malfoy had fled the castle and she knew that yesterday's retaliation against Crabbe and Goyle was only going to make things worse.

The various sixth year students from all four houses seemed to be marching en masse from the Great Hall to the Defence classroom, most wearing full on scowls with their eyes firmly affixed to the counterparts that they viewed as the enemy. Thankfully the staff had anticipated that there could be problems and several chose to trail along to monitor the situation. It was the first time Hermione could recall the staff publicly making an effort to squelch the political tensions in Hogwarts. _Too little, too late_, she mused.

"Stow your wands," Snape instructed brusquely as he walked to the front of the room. He leveled Harry with his best stare before continuing.

"Due to recent events _some of you_ can't be trusted to act responsibly and respectfully towards your fellow classmates. Anyone casting so much as _Lumos _during this lesson risks immediate expulsion. Have I made myself clear?"

After receiving mumbled agreement from the class he flourished his wand at the board and words appeared.

_Chapter 25: Magical Concealment_

"We will be reviewing the means and methods to detect disillusionment charms and the various magical objects used to conceal oneself such as invisibility cloaks," he droned, emphasizing the last two words for effect.

Her blood boiled as she realized he had skipped chapters ahead in the curriculum in order to cover this specific topic on this specific day. She was reminded of his purposeful wedging in of the Defence lesson on Werewolves in third year. The man's pettiness was relentless and seemingly without end.

Hermione instinctively reached for Harry's hand under the desk to make sure he held his tongue. She realized that while the headmaster's repeated insistence that Professor Snape opposed Voldemort might be true he'd never been on Harry's side. Never.

In truth it was taking all of her willpower to restrain herself as Snape gave a point by point dissertation on how to detect and combat one of Harry's greatest advantages. She glanced at Daphne Greengrass and noticed the girl was looking at her in consideration. Daphne gave her a subtle nod before turning her gaze back toward their professor. It was clear that Daphne had deduced why the topic was being covered and how Ron and Lavender had been present during their initial meeting. If Daphne was able to suss out Snape's motivations who else would realize what their professor was doing? Her blood boiled.

"Do you have an issue with my instruction, Miss Granger?" Professor Snape asked. Apparently she had been wearing her emotions on her sleeve and he couldn't wait to poke the bear just a bit.

She remained steadfastly quiet.

"Truly remarkable," Snape continued on, "for the first time since you began attending my class you aren't jumping at the opportunity to show off. I wonder...has dating Potter made you dumber or lazier? Perhaps both?

Please answer the question Miss Granger," Snape prodded once again. "Is there any _particular_ reason you have an issue with today's instruction?"

She heard the tittering laughter amongst some of her fellow students and was reminded of Snape's sneering insult of her teeth in fourth year. She couldn't hold her tongue any longer.

"Nothing beyond the issues I've had with your instruction for the last six years, _sir_," she replied unthinkingly. She heard Lavender's gasp of surprise in her periphery and cursed her impulsiveness. It had felt good though.

She purposely cast her eyes downward and pretended to consider her book. Regardless of how much she wanted to glare at him she knew her refusal to meet his gaze was the most prudent action and would more than likely infuriate him more than any comeback could manage.

"Apparently some of Potter's arrogance has rubbed off on you as well. Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention with me tomorrow night for your cheek," he declared.

_I see no difference_ echoed in her brain once again.

"No," she replied before she lost her nerve.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"No, _sir_," she repeated as calmly as she could manage. Harry and Ron would never let her live it down if she started yelling at a teacher. Besides, that would be letting him win. As frustrated as she was for letting their confrontation get to this point she refused to let him win.

"I'll sit for my detention with any member of the staff but you," she continued. She could hear the excited murmurings around her but kept her head down.

"Unfortunately for you that is not an option…and that will now be a week's worth of detentions, starting tonight."

She knew Harry was going to speak in her defense at any moment and forcefully squeezed his hand for him to prevent it from happening. That was exactly what Snape wanted.

"No," she repeated.

"You realize that this defiance is more than enough to see you expelled?" he asked. She knew it wasn't an idle threat. He was vindictive enough to try and do it regardless of where his loyalties truly lied. She was saved from responding from a most unexpected source.

"_Lumos_," she heard the voice of Susan Bones intone from the back of the room, her normal pleasantness entirely absent. If her apparent anger was an indicator of the strength of the spell than the light she'd created could rival the sun.

"Two weeks detention for you as well Miss-"

"_Lumos_," rang out once more. It sounded like it had been Sue's best friend Hannah Abbot this time.

Snape began to speak once again but was interrupted and drowned out by the sudden chorus of "_Lumos_" that began surging throughout the room. Hermione looked behind her and realized that almost half of her classmates were now holding their illuminated wands in the air, daring to be punished for their act of solidarity.

The remaining students' reactions to the communal act of defiance were a mixture of anger, confusion and amusement. She felt Harry release her hand before he cast _Lumos_ as well.

"Everyone out!" Snape bellowed.

"Except for you two," he amended angrily, pointing at her and Harry. While most of the class quickly filed out, Neville, Lavender and Ron moved to stand behind them.

"I said to get out!" Snape ordered once again.

"They don't want to leave us alone with you," Harry informed. "It's the same reason Hermione won't sit for detention with you. None of us trust you."

"I am going into the other room to summon the headmaster and your head of house. Do _not_ move," he ordered angrily before stalking into an adjoining room and slamming the door behind him.

The group sat quietly for several moments, stunned to silence by how quickly everything had escalated. Ron was the first to speak.

"_Nothing beyond the issues I've had with your instruction for the last six years, sir_," he said in a high pitched voice meant to mimic her own. "Merlin, Hermione, you're even better at insulting Snape than me."

"He made me angry," she muttered grumpily as she tried not to think about the prospect of being expelled. Again.

"_That_ we sorted out," Neville replied in amusement. "What do you reckon is going to happen now?" he asked, instantly sobering.

No-one had a chance to answer as Snape stormed back into the room, trailed by Dumbledore and McGonagall. Apparently he had summoned them via the floo. McGonagall's look of fury nearly matched Snape while Dumbledore looked pensive.

"Let me do the talking," Harry informed quietly as the trio approached.

"We need to speak to Mister Potter and Miss Granger alone," Dumbledore informed calmly.

"We'd like them to stay so we can walk back to Gryffindor as a group," Harry replied, doing his best to match Dumbledore's calm tone. "None of us trust the staff to protect us from other students so we've had to do it ourselves."

"This is completely ridiculous," Professor McGonagall replied. "What did I tell you two?" she pleaded angrily.

Hermione wanted to argue back but she remembered Harry's request and he clearly had something to say.

"You told us about ripple effects," Harry seethed. "We've had a professor that has insulted and tried to intimidate us since we were first years so now we don't trust him. You allow a student to almost kill two other students so we don't trust the staff. When _we_ stopped him you ordered us to sort it out ourselves. That's what we are trying to do."

"You, arrogant-"

"Ask Professor Snape what today's lesson was about," Harry interrupted. Snape fell silent, choosing instead to level Harry with his best sneer. Unfortunately his spectacular effort was wasted on Harry as he refused to look the man in the eyes.

"He decided to skip ahead several chapters to teach us, _in detail_, about detecting invisibility cloaks."

Dumbledore looked furious. Snape, however, seemed unrepentant.

"What was it you said to us Professor?" he asked, his gaze turning toward McGonagall. "Actions have consequences and we have to be willing to deal with them. That applies to you lot as well," Harry concluded.

As the seconds ticked by the uncomfortable silence loomed over the room. Life within the castle seemed to be changing by the minute and everyone was struggling to keep up. Unfortunately none of them seemed to know how to proceed and based on his expression the headmaster appeared to be just as unsure of what to say or do.

"There will be no punishments or point deductions at this time," Dumbledore eventually intoned. "I beg you to continue to exercise caution and do your best to not aggravate the situation. It is clear that the staff needs to be reminded of this as well."

"Headmaster-"

"Dinner will be starting soon," Dumbledore interrupted forcefully before Professor Snape could finish his sentence, "you best be off."

"I will escort you," Professor McGonagall informed tiredly as she followed them out the door.

Not only had McGonagall escorted them to the Great Hall for supper that evening she'd led the whole of Gryffindor back to the common room afterward for good measure. The speech she'd given before departing for the evening was concise and clear:

_Protect yourself._ _Protect your fellow classmates. Do not be the aggressor._

Gryffindor had been buzzing over supper as news of that day's eventful Defence lesson had begun to spread and once McGonagall finally exited for the evening it seemed that all of Gryffindor pounced, wanting a detailed blow by blow of what had immediately been dubbed the _Lumos Lesson_.

And as good as it felt to see her fellow Gryffindors so engaged and unified, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be much more content sneaking off with Harry. They were sitting in their couch but it wasn't the same because they were surrounded by other students chattering away. It was such an odd dichotomy. As the school had rallied together the past few months she found herself desperately wanting to be alone with Harry more and more. Only Harry.

As she listened to Ron regaling a pack of first years about her spirited response to their Defence instructor Harry pulled her out of the scrum.

"We can't sneak out, Harry," she said reluctantly, "it's not safe."

"I know," he replied as he led her to an empty loveseat that had been shoved into a remote corner of the common room.

There was a reason this chair had been banished to the darkest, dingiest, most depressing part of Gryffindor house. The upholstery was faded and threadbare but that wasn't the real problem. It was thoroughly uncomfortable. She wasn't sure why or how but the thing seemed to actively repel cushioning charms…as if sitting in it was destined to be such a miserable experience that even magic couldn't interfere.

But despite these seemingly overwhelming odds Harry was unfazed at the task before him. He quickly pulled out his wand and levitated the love seat, turning it around so it faced the window.

"This chair is awful," she mumbled as he pulled her down next to him.

"I know," he stated simply as he draped an arm over her shoulder and stared at the nighttime sky.

As she nestled into his side she could practically feel the splinters beginning to set up residence in her back. Quickly she theorized that if she leaned just a bit further into Harry she could hopefully avoid touching the abomination in any meaningful way. She felt Harry's arm slide down from her shoulders and wrap her waist in a protective hug, effectively providing a barrier from her nemesis. Within seconds his hand began calmly venturing to places just barely appropriate for their current location.

The voices behind her seemed to fade away as she curled her hand around Harry's thigh. Perhaps this chair wasn't so bad. She gazed out the window…it was a beautiful night.

* * *

As promised Ron and Lavender had replaced Neville and Ginny for Saturday morning's excursion to the Room of Requirement with Luna happily joining as well.

"I can't believe I agreed to get up this early to protect you lot and now I'm going to be late for breakfast," Ron mumbled good naturedly as they made the trek to Slughorn's office two hours later. Neville and Ginny had joined them as well, strengthening their numbers even further.

"You already had breakfast…in fact you had it earlier than normal thanks to Dobby," Lavender informed.

"That was almost two hours ago," he scoffed.

"So does that mean you won't be joining us to help Slughorn? That leech juice isn't going to extract itself you know," Harry replied.

"I would join you but I think Hermione wants to spend time alone with you Harry," Luna observed casually, drawing a chuckle from the group.

"You're more than welcome to join us, Luna," she quickly replied, pretending to ignore how on the mark the girl had been.

"Oh, I know that," Luna continued, "but I imagine it's difficult having everyone around you all the time now."

"It's not too bad," Harry replied as Slughorn's classroom came into sight. "Except for Ron. Bloody annoying he is."

"You have no idea," Lavender and Ginny replied in unison, drawing a cry of protest from the redhead.

"We'll see you in two hours," Neville said with a happy wave as the group departed for the Great Hall.

It was clear that Dumbledore had spoken to the staff as Professor Slughorn seemed much more reserved than normal. He even went so far as to cast several enchantments on the door, presumably meant to prevent any surprise visitors from joining them.

Slughorn quickly set them to work, ironically enough, extracting juice from a rather rambunctious bunch of leeches, before returning to his office to finish up some grading.

"This is torture," Harry grumbled several minutes later. "I finally have a chance to be properly alone with you and I'm stuck doing _this_," he lamented, gesturing to the gelatinous goo dripping off of his hands.

She snorted her agreement. "I don't think we'll have a chance to be properly _alone _again for a long time."

"It was okay, wasn't it?" Harry asked hesitantly. "We haven't really talked about it but…you don't regret it do you?"

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Are you really worried about that?"

He was nervous but unafraid. "I thought it was amazing and I thought you did as well…but yeah…a bit."

She took off her gloves and cradled his face. "If I have any say about it we are going to be doing that again as soon as we can manage it. It's you and me now, Harry. Never doubt that."

The tender moment was broken spectacularly as Harry's leech let out an undignified squelch of protest. According to the reading she'd done leeches quite enjoyed the 'juicing' process and apparently this one was annoyed at the temporary stoppage.

"Thanks for ruining the mood," Harry muttered to the leech as he resumed his task, drawing what amounted to a contented sigh from the subject.

Hermione's amusement at the scene was broken as she felt her HDF coin warm. It was a message from Astoria.

_Something is going on. Daphne says a large group of JDE's just left Slytherin together and they looked excited._

"We should go," Harry informed over her shoulder. "You tell Slughorn what's going on and I'll check the map."

Hermione quickly knocked on the office door and opened it without waiting for a response.

"Professor, Harry and I-"

Her voice caught in her throat as she spotted Professor Slughorn sitting at his desk, staring straight ahead. He was flanked by a very familiar, very worried face.

"What's going on, Mr. Dagworth?" she asked.

"They've threatened my family..."

"What have you done?" she asked.

"I'm sorry Miss Granger but I can't let you leave," he informed.

"What have you done?" she repeated as she drew her wand.

"The door won't open!" she heard Harry call from the other room.

"He won't be able to open it. I had Sluggy place several enchantments on the door," Dagworth supplied.

"He's Imperiused?" she surmised.

He nodded as he slowly and purposefully placed his wand on the desk. "I'm just trying to protect my family," he mumbled, "I told you I was a coward. I'm sorry."

"What are they doing?" she asked.

"I don't know…all I had to do was make sure you two were locked in this room," he answered.

Blaise's prior warning echoed in her brain. She and Harry were the targets.

"_Stupefy_!" Harry shouted from behind her and Dagworth crashed backwards, slumping to the floor.

"This doesn't look good," he muttered, handing her the Marauders Map.

It was a river of red names and they were all headed their way.

* * *

A/N: I have two things unrelated to this story I'd like let you know about.

1\. I'm sure a lot of you are fans of _Grow Young with Me _by Taliesin19 and/or _Harry Potter and the Triwizard Tournament_ by Salient Causality. These two amazing authors recently wrote and published a one-shot story entitled _**Harry & Gabby – A Fanfic**_. As you can probably surmise from the title it is somewhat ridiculous, quite absurd and thoroughly enjoyable. If you have read either of their primary stories you already know that the writing is top-notch but if you're still not convinced to give it a try I can emphatically state that it is the most impeccably betaed story in the history of betaing (Full disclosure: I was the beta). I've added their Pen Name (SalTalStudios) to the Favorite Authors section in my profile if you'd like a convenient link.

2\. I am pleased to inform everyone that I will be publishing the first chapter of my new story _Sliding Doors_ tomorrow (Sep 1) as part of the **Jily Meets Harmony Challenge **taking place on the Harmony Discord. All the details about the challenge are listed on my Authors Profile page if you are interested in learning more or (hopefully) participating. And if you are a fan of Harmony I highly encourage you to check out the Discord at discord dot gg/2GcXw8R


	19. Chapter 19

"We need to move," Harry ordered as she stared at the map. There were ten red names headed their way from Slytherin and a few coming from Ravenclaw for good measure.

"Hermione!" he nearly screamed, snapping her back to attention.

"Sorry!" she replied as she pulled out her mirror and coin.

She tapped out a message on her HDF coin.

_Harry and I are in Slughorn's classroom and JDE's are coming. Send help!_

She turned her attention back to Harry. "Only the professors can control who can lock or unlock the doors. I think they've trapped us in," she began.

"Floo?" Harry asked as he sprinted over to the fireplace.

"Except for Dumbledore they control that and also who can use it for travel."

"Albus Dumbledore!" Harry nearly shouted with no affect. "Minerva McGonagall! Remus Lupin! Grimmauld Place!" he continued with no success. "Shit!"

"What about elves? Dobby! Kreacher!" he called desperately. Nothing happened.

"The professor controls the room," she repeated. "It's how Crouch was able to manage impersonating Moody for so long. No-one gets in or out without their permission."

"We could break Slughorn from the Imperius," Harry suggested as he began pulling vials from shelves and placing them on the desks in the room.

"Only the caster can break the curse quickly and we don't have time. Are we sending these at them?" she asked as she began to help.

"That's the plan unless you have something better in mind," he answered.

"We don't know what these do. They could be dangerous."

"That's the point!" he replied as he began levitating the remaining empty desks in front of the door and stacking them together.

"They're almost here!" she called desperately as she eyed the map once again. "There is no way we can take all of them."

"Come on," he ordered as he grabbed his invisibility cloak and pulled her towards Slughorn's office.

She quickly began casting enchantments on the nearby doorway…anything and everything she could think of to provide them a precious few more seconds before the cavalry hopefully arrived. They heard an explosion. Apparently their pursuers had resorted to magic to get past the blockade.

"The storage closet," she suggested and they quickly huddled together in the furthest corner of the small room. Hermione looked at the map once again. "They're here."

They heard the rumbling from the other room as the attackers pushed past Harry's desk blockade in front of the door.

"They must be in the other room!" she heard someone inform. "You four stay here and see if they've disillusioned themselves or are using something else to hide."

Based on the sounds and muffled curses her tripping jinx had caught the first few attackers as they barreled into the room.

"Slow down and check for spells," she heard an unknown voice exclaim

"_Accio potions_," Harry incanted quietly and they heard the sound of breaking glass. Several shrieks could be heard and it was apparent Harry was right. Some of the potions had been toxic.

"They're playing with you," she heard the unmistakable voice of Daphne Greengrass observe through her coughs.

"Stow it, Daphne. It's just like you to finally pick a side after we've got the advantage," another familiar voice replied. Pansy

"Shut up," the first voice interjected once again. "I think everything has been dispelled. Let's go. Slowly"

Hermione put a finger up to her mouth in instruction and Harry nodded his agreement. They were both on the same page that hiding and remaining quiet was their only option.

'The floo is still disabled," Pansy informed. Hermione could see the legs of the various students moving around the room and hear detection charms being cast.

"_Accio _cloak!" rang out and her stomach sank. Apparently Pansy had been paying attention to Snape's Defence lesson as well. She gripped the cloak tighter, waiting for the inevitable pull of the spell. But nothing happened…nothing at all.

"They've escaped!" Pansy lamented.

"You can't apparate in Hogwarts," the unknown voice corrected. "They're here. They've just hidden themselves really well. Look in and under everything."

Daphne entered the room and quickly began casting disillusionment detection charms…seemingly with no affect. Hermione's confusion grew even further. The summoning spell, if done correctly, should have worked. The detection charms, cast in such close proximity to their target, should have worked.

Daphne began poking her wand forward as she stalked around the room and her eyes widened as it finally made contact with their invisible form. She'd found them. Daphne didn't say a word, merely reaching out a hand and feeling the cloak in her palm.

"Shit!" the leader exclaimed, drawing Daphne's attention before she exited the room.

"You said we wouldn't get caught Derek," a new voice interjected."

So the leader was Derek Clayhorne, a quiet seventh year…a name that she had been surprised to see on the junior death eater list.

"Someone's bound to be on the way now. We need to go!" Daphne pleaded.

"They must have been tipped off!" Derek nearly screamed. "How?"

"It was her!" Pansy exclaimed. "Daphne hasn't been interested until now but suddenly she can't wait to tag along and help."

"You're paranoid, Pansy," Daphne shot back.

"Where was she searching?" Clayhorne replied.

"You can't be-"

"The storage closet."

Before Hermione could react she heard Harry softly whisper "_Petrificus Totalus_" and she felt her body go stiff. She wanted to scream but was unable as Harry stepped forward and draped the cloak over her. "I'm sorry," he whispered before exiting the room.

"Potter," Clayhorne said with a laugh. "The Chosen One was hiding like a coward."

"Calling me a coward when it's ten to one," Harry spit back, "very brave. Just like your death eater pals."

"Nine to three, actually," Clayhorne answered. "Greengrass is clearly on your side and I'm guessing that Granger is still hiding."

"Derek-"

"Hand over your wand, Daphne."

There were several seconds of silence before Clayhorne spoke again.

"Take Daphne into the other room."

"What should I do with her?"

"Seems like a little punishment is in order don't you think? Nothing permanent obviously. Think you can manage that?"

Hermione's skin crawled as Pansy giddily replied. "Absolutely."

She heard Daphne being shuffled out of the room as Harry spoke.

"It's just me. Hermione didn't come because we knew she'd been targeted."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Look for yourself, take all the time you need," Harry replied as casually as he could manage. "You'd be doing me a favor actually…wasting even more time so help can arrive."

Hermione heard muffled screams. Daphne's _punishment _had begun.

Clayhorne appeared and quickly began casting the same charms Daphne had attempted just minutes prior.

"I told you," Harry chimed in once again from the adjoining room, "but thank you for wasting an extra few minutes."

Hermione released a breath as Derek gave one final look at the room before leaving.

"I really wanted the mudblood but I suppose we'll have to settle for you," Clayhorne muttered and her heart clenched. She knew what was coming.

"_Crucio_."

The seconds felt like hours as she was forced to listen to Harry attempting to suppress his cries of pain. While Daphne's agony was full throated and loud Harry's was stubbornly muted as he did his best to suppress the damage that the spell was causing. If anything it made it more difficult for her to endure. He always fought. Always. She felt the tears sliding down her face and realized there were some things even magic couldn't suppress.

And suddenly the torturous screaming stopped as a cacophony of new voices sounded from the other room. Help had apparently arrived.

"Looks like the odds have evened up," Harry grit out.

She heard the floo flare to life and felt another wave of relief wash over her. The headmaster had finally arrived. A scattered clattering of wands hitting the floor followed several seconds later. It appeared they knew they were no match for Dumbledore.

"Mr. Clayhorne, what have you done?" Dumbledore asked, fury evident in his voice.

"Not nearly enough," Clayhorne replied defiantly as the sound of spellfire ceased altogether. Apparently order had been restored in the other room as well.

"He used the Cruciatus on me. Parkinson did the same to Daphne Greengrass," Harry informed.

"You'll be going to Azkaban," Dumbledore informed gravely.

"Not for long," Clayhorne answered, "and Pansy and I are the only ones who have reached our majority. The worst you can do to the rest is expel them."

She heard what sounded like a punch followed by something heavy hitting the floor. She assumed that it was Clayhorne.

"Where is Miss Granger? And what has happened to Horace?"

"Get them out of here first," Harry ordered.

After several moments of murmured orders and people being shuffled out the room was silent.

"Him as well."

"You little-"

"If you don't order him to leave I'll hex him myself."

"Severus, please check with Poppy about any additional potions she may need. I do not believe Horace will be any condition to assist."

"Headmaster-"

"_Now_, Severus."

The room fell silent again before she heard the sound of a door closing.

"She's in the storage room, under the invisibility cloak. I petrified her."

Finally, mercifully, _Finite Incantatem_ was cast and she was released from Harry's spell. She quickly pushed past the headmaster and sprinted to Harry, catching herself moments before barreling into him.

"It's all right," he mumbled as he pulled her close.

"I don't want to hurt you," she stated as he heard him let out a grimace.

"It's okay," he gritted into her ear as his head fell on her shoulder.

"It's not okay!" she replied through her tears. "Don't ever do that again. It's you and me, Harry. Don't ever do that again."

"They were after you. I couldn't let them hurt you."

She had no response for that because it really was that simple. If she had thought of petrifying Harry and sacrificing herself she would have done it without a second thought. He'd been hurt too much already. She just wanted it all to end.

"Miss Granger-"

"They threatened Mr. Dagworth's family. I think he was authorized to use Professor Slughorn's floo. He put the professor under the _Imperius_ and had him lock us in. It was all coordinated and planned."

"And Miss Greengrass?"

"She warned us then pretended to be on their side to delay them from finding us," Harry continued with the story. "You need to find Astoria Greengrass. She helped warn us as well and-"

"Astoria is most likely in the hospital wing as we speak. She and a few other students from Hufflepuff were involved in a confrontation."

"She must have been trying to stop more from coming here," Hermione interjected. "Is she all right?"

"I do not know. Professor Sprout was the one who came upon the fight. "Astoria insisted that she inform me of what was going on immediately."

It was then that Hermione became aware of the rumbling chorus from the other room.

"I believe there are members of your group waiting to escort you to the hospital wing, Harry. Can you make it under your own power while I tend to Professor Slughorn and Mr. Dagworth?"

"What about the students who attacked us?"

"They will more than likely be expelled," Dumbledore supplied tiredly. "Unfortunately Mr. Clayhorne is right. There isn't much more that can be done to those who have yet to turn seventeen. But we can discuss this later once I have more information. You need medical attention and I need to begin dealing with what has happened tonight. Am I correct in assuming that Miss Greengrass was the source of your list?"

Hermione waited for Harry's nod before replying. "Yes. She was assisted by others but she was the leader."

"Then I will need to inform her parents as well. I need to know the names of all who have assisted you two. It is for their protection."

"You'll tell Professor Snape and we don't trust him," Harry mumbled.

"I will not share the names with Severus. You have my word," Dumbledore replied.

"Blaise Zabini and Tracey Davis," Hermione supplied as she wrapped an arm around Harry and led him toward the exit. She opened the door and found their head of house as well as several students waiting for them. Ron seemed to be favoring one of his legs and Lavender had a rather nasty cut on one of her arms.

"You all right?" Ron asked.

"Not really but I will be. You?"

"I've been better," Ron answered with a muted chuckle.

"May I suggest we continue this conversation in the hospital wing?" McGonagall interjected. "Do you need assistance with Mister Potter?"

"I've got him," she murmured as she delicately pulled him closer. "I've got him."

* * *

Three hours later Harry was asleep and full of several potions meant to ensure that he would stay that way for the immediate future. Hermione had supplied a full recounting of everything that had happened to Professor McGonagall. The room was now calm and quiet with most of the injured students having healed and sent to their common room, the castle in a temporary lock down. Supper was a few hours away but Hermione felt like she had been awake for a week. All other visitors had been sent away due to the lockdown by Madam Pomfrey but Hermione had refused, taking up a silent vigil by Harry's side and monitoring the map for any other threats.

She was broken from her musings by a voice from across the room.

"How is he?" Daphne asked, her voice muted and raw.

Hermione made her way over to Daphne's bedside. "Like you I suppose. Thoroughly miserable but too stubborn to show it. Why aren't you sleeping?"

'I refused that potion. My parents are due any moment and I need to speak with them," she supplied.

Daphne sat up slightly, grimacing in pain at the slight movement. "And I wanted to talk to you, about your cloak."

Hermione reflexively clutched her bag where the cloak was stored and scanned the room to see if anyone had overheard their conversation.

"Don't worry," Daphne said, purposely speaking in a near whisper, "your secret is safe with me. But you need to know…that cloak is special."

Hermione nodded her head. "It's a Potter family heirloom. It does seem to be more powerful than most cloaks from what I've read about them."

"It's more than that, Hermione. It isn't just special…I think it's _one of a kind _special. I've never heard of a cloak being resistant to detection and summoning spells."

"Surely you are exaggerating…"

"I'm assuming you've tracked down a copy of _Beedle the Bard _by now?" Daphne asked. At Hermione's nod she continued. "Have you read _The_ _Tale of the Three Brothers_."

"You're joking," Hermione replied, not quite believing such a fantastical story could be true.

"My family has spent years obsessing over that book. Every story…any and every clue that could lead to a solution…especially one that deals with mastering death. My parents are convinced that the Hallows are real."

"Hallows?"

"The Deathly Hallows. The wand, the stone and the cloak."

Hermione instantly recalled Dumbledore's expression when he saw the book in her hand. She still remained skeptical.

"I find it hard to believe that Death goes around handing out magical artifacts."

"That part is nonsense of course but that doesn't mean the fairy tale isn't based on real life events." Daphne paused and nodded toward the bed next to her as confirmation of her statement.

Astoria.

According to Susan Bones, Astoria had been hit by a simple bludgeoning spell but she seemed much worse off than any of the other students who had been involved in the fighting. The girl looked so frail and withdrawn…like death warmed over. Hermione had never noticed how pale and thin the girl looked in the past but now that she knew of her condition she could see nothing else.

"I'm sorry," Hermione stated, once again not knowing what else to say, "and I'm sorry protecting me led to you being discovered."

"My idiot sister has probably taken a few years off of her life by helping today," Daphne continued. "It's ridiculous and irrational but part of me stupidly hoped that by helping you we could cure Astoria of this wretched curse."

Daphne wiped at her eyes angrily. "Astoria and I knew the risks when we decided to help. Harry was smart not to let them know about the cloak and protect you."

As Hermione was pondering Daphne's words she heard a gasp and saw Harry's eyes shoot open. He tried to sit up before sagging back into his bed, the lingering pain caused by his prior torture hitting him in full force.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, quickly rushing to his side.

"Draco is dead," he informed, his voice gravelly and hoarse as he placed a hand on his scar. "Voldemort tracked him down and killed him. He said there couldn't be any loose ends."

"You saw it?" she asked in horror. It had been almost a year since his last vision.

He nodded with a grimace. "I don't think he wanted me to see it...it felt like he'd lost a bit of control…like he was furious but enjoying it at the same time. He made his parents watch, Hermione. They just stood there."

Hermione grabbed a washcloth and dipped it in the nearby basin before placing it on Harry's forehead.

"I hate that you have this connection-"

Hermione purposely stopped herself from continuing her thought out loud. The HDF and the resulting drama had served as a distraction from the horrifying theory she'd had since learning of Horcruxes.

_Harry had a connection to Voldemort._

"Close your eyes and try and go back to sleep, let the potion do its work," she urged.

_Harry had a connection to Voldemort's Horcruxes._

"I need to tell Dumbledore," he murmured as his eyes slid shut, the potion taking affect once again.

_Horcruxes were created by killing someone_

"I'll tell him," she soothed. "Please try and sleep."

She placed the washcloth back in the basin and grabbed Harry's hand. It was softer now that he'd quit playing Quidditch. She prayed for the day when she'd get to feel those rough calluses once again.

_Harry had survived being struck by the killing curse._

She brushed Harry's fringe back and looked at his infamous scar. It may have been her imagination but it looked brighter than normal.

_Dumbledore knew something he hadn't shared with Harry._

She looked at Harry once again and a decision was made. No more secrets. No more unanswered questions. She needed to talk to Dumbledore.

* * *

It had taken over twenty fours but she now had her chance for answers. Dumbledore's name had finally shown back up on the Marauder's Map after dealing with the rogue student attacks from the day prior. Harry had been released from hospital and was now recuperating on their couch. She'd made an excuse and pulled Ron and Lavender to a corner out of Harry's eyesight.

"I need you to distract Harry so I can sneak out of the common room," she began.

"Why?" Ron asked immediately, an eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore about a possible theory."

"Why can't Harry know?" Lavender asked as she peered over her shoulder where Harry was seated.

"Because if your theory is correct it's really bad, right?" Ron asked. She nodded.

"How bad?"

She felt the moisture pooling in her eyes and cursed her emotions. She'd done so well keeping them in check over the last day. But in this moment…having to say the words out loud…it was too much.

"As bad as it gets," she answered, bowing her head at Ron's stricken expression.

It was Lavender who spoke first. "No."

"Lav we-"

"No hiding," she repeated. "No sneaking out. It's too dangerous." She looked very determined.

"Tell Harry the truth, Hermione," she continued. "Tell him the truth and have McGonagall take you."

Hermione looked to see Ron wearing a sad smile. "Well I'm certainly not going to help you and make Lav angry. Besides, I reckon she's right."

She nodded in resignation and sent a patronus message to her head of house asking for an escort to see the headmaster. The appearance of her silvery otter had caused a stir in the common room and Harry was now looking at her quizzically…waiting for an explanation.

She told him exactly what she had shared with Ron and Lavender and was met with the same questions and the same worried looks. Hermione watched as he pondered her words and absently scratched Crookshanks in the specific spot that always elicited a contented purr.

The tension was broken as the common room door opened and Professor McGonagall appeared, looking very concerned.

"I'll see you soon," Harry answered softly, doing his best to smile despite whatever horrible scenarios were rattling around in his brain.

She nodded her thanks, not trusting her voice at that moment, and quickly left the room.

McGonagall had apparently warned the headmaster as he seemed entirely nonplussed at her entrance, going so far as to have tea waiting for both of his guests.

"I'm assuming you are here for an update on yesterday's incident," he began pleasantly.

She took a breath. "Partially."

Dumbledore paused briefly, clearly taken aback by her cryptic response.

"Mr. Clayhorne and Miss Parkinson are currently being held by the authorities and will both be charged for the use of an Unforgivable. The remaining students involved in the incident have all been expelled and their wands snapped. Based on what we've been able to surmise the plan was to torture you and Harry before obliviating you two and Professor Slughorn. They had anticipated not being detected for sixty minutes which Miss Greengrass was able to foil."

"Mr. Dagworth?"

Dumbledore sighed and removed his glasses. "Mr. Dagworth has been removed from his position at the Ministry and it is yet to be determined what, if anything, he will be charged with."

"His family?"

"His wife has been killed for his failure but his two children are alive. Her body and the children were found in his home. The Ministry employees who contacted him have yet to be apprehended."

This was more than a schoolyard fight. This was an open and clear escalation of events and there truly was no going back. She did her best to not think about the two children that had lost their mother and forced herself to refocus.

"I need to speak to you privately. It's about Harry."

"Minerva, I will escort Miss Granger back to Gryffindor once we are finished with our discussion."

McGonagall nodded and left the room, casting one last worried glance at her before disappearing down the steps. Hermione had thought and rethought about how best to phrase her questioning for the last day but all of her carefully worded plans were immediately discarded. The time for treading lightly was at an end.

"Harry is a Horcrux isn't he?"

"What have you shared with Harry?"

"Yes or no. Is Harry a Horcrux?"

She watched as the headmaster considered how to answer. When this had happened in the past a benevolent smile was on his face and there was a twinkle in his eye. This time, however, all she saw was a man who was seeing all of his carefully laid plans burn to ash.

"Yes."

Before she could reply he raised a hand to stop her. "Please, Miss Granger. Please let me explain why I have kept this information from Harry."

And he did. For the next several minutes he laid out a highly precise, detailed and logical justification for why Harry could and should not know his fate until the last possible moment...until all the remaining Horcruxes had been dealt with. He was adamant that only then could Harry be made aware of the unspeakable sacrifice that was expected of him.

Silence reigned as she attempted to process what had just been shared. How many times had he miscalculated situations in the past?

Then suddenly, inexplicably, the prophecy began echoing in her mind. As she repeated the damnable words it dawned on her that it was one more thing that Dumbledore may have gotten spectacularly wrong.

_Neither can live while the other survives…_

Voldemort wasn't a part of the 'neither'. He'd damned himself from that possibility long ago. Willingly splitting his soul…drinking unicorn blood…enacting ancient rituals to regain a body…they were the acts of a man doomed to a half life…a cursed life...something that could merely survive. While he may have taken steps to ensure survival his chances at _living _were well and truly long gone.

She thought of Harry. His ridiculous hair…his eyes…his smile…the small of his shoulder where she seemed to fit perfectly. She thought of so many wonderful, exhilarating, infuriating bits and pieces that she couldn't fathom living without. She thought of everything but the scar. That wasn't Harry. That abomination belonged to the _other_. And neither could live while the other survived. Her path forward was clear.

"_Expecto Patronum_," she intoned, sending her otter on its second mission of the day.

"What have you done?" Dumbledore asked.

"I sent a message to Harry telling him that his scar is a Horcrux but he didn't need to panic…that we would figure out a way to get rid of it together. And if I don't remember sending this message when I get back to the common room it's because you obliviated me."

The headmaster looked well and truly defeated now. Not by_ her_ necessarily…but by time…life…his actions and inactions…all of it. "Do you really think so little of me that I would resort to such a despicable act, Miss Granger?" he asked.

"I couldn't take the chance," she replied simply.

"I believe my plan would have allowed Harry a chance to survive," Dumbledore answered.

"And _I_ believe Harry deserves to know the truth. He doesn't need to be tricked into doing the right thing at the last moment," she spit out. As the seconds ticked by and the headmaster remained silent she thought of how much more could have been done by now…how much less Harry would have suffered…if only Dumbledore had trusted them all just a bit more.

"You always sell him short," she continued, forcing herself to remain calm. "You constantly sell him short and he's worth a thousand of you." She felt tears forming and quickly wiped them away. There would be time for tears later…when she was alone…away from the headmaster and away from Harry.

"On that we both agree," he replied wearily.

He suddenly looked so pathetic and sad and she felt her rage growing. He was Albus Dumbledore. If she could postpone her tears and remain focused than the supposed greatest wizard of the last century could do the same.

"I don't care if you feel bad! If you really care about Harry you need to tell us everything you know and help us."

"Well it seems you've left me little choice in the matter, Miss Granger," he replied with a sad smile. As sad as he looked she also thought he looked a bit relieved as well.

_Neither can live while the other survives…_

She knew they wouldn't be returning to Hogwarts in the fall because she and Harry had something much more important to take care of. Everyone and everything else could wait because neither she nor Harry could live while the sodding _other_ survived. Whether Trelawney meant for her to be considered part of the _neither_ was irrelevant…because she was. Totally and unequivocally.

Hermione had been gifted with magic for a reason. Harry had saved her in first year for a reason. She helped him survive a dragon for a reason. He'd come back from that graveyard for a reason. She'd gone to the Department of Mysteries despite knowing it was a trap for a reason. Being the two halves of the _neither_ was the reason. It was too late to turn back now and it didn't matter that Harry was the one with a bit of Voldemort embedded on his forehead.

She'd had enough of waiting for Dumbledore's silence to end and stood to leave. "I need to talk to Harry."

As they began the journey back to Gryffindor, Dumbledore spoke. "I would very much like it if you and Harry would meet me here tomorrow morning at eight. I have some additional information to share with you and the sooner we start working on a strategy together, the better. You will, of course, be excused from your classes for the day. Perhaps Mr. Weasley could join the meeting as well."

As she nodded her agreement the mirror in her pocket warmed. It was Harry.

"Are you all right?" they asked each other in unison.

She laughed despite herself. "You just found out that you are a Horcrux and you're asking how_ I_ am?"

"You said you might be Obliviated!" he protested. "I reckoned I could start panicking about me once I knew you were safe."

"I'm fine, Harry," she reassured. I'll be there in a few minutes and we can talk about everything and start coming up with a plan. I love you."

"Me too, Hermione. You've no idea…" he answered with a sad smile. "Crooks and I will be waiting."

"Communication mirrors," Dumbledore observed as they continued their trek, "quite ingenuous."

"Harry's dad and his friends created them when they were at Hogwarts," Hermione supplied.

"That explains so many things," he observed with a soft chuckle.

A few minutes later she bounded through the portrait hole and an orange ball of fur darted toward her…presumably there to escort her to her reserved spot. Harry turned and looked at her over the back of the couch, shooting her an awkward smile. He looked a mess…hair going everywhere. She imagined he had been running his hand through it a lot the last few minutes. He did that when he was worried…or thinking. He was surrounded by Ron, Lavender, Neville, Ginny and Luna. Even Hedwig had joined the party, regally presiding over the group on a nearby window ledge.

Hermione marveled at how _alive_ she felt at that moment despite everything they'd gone through and everything they still needed to accomplish. She had no idea how they were going to manage it but she was positive that the _neither_ were going to live and the sodding _other_ didn't stand a chance.

* * *

A/N: From the beginning this was planned to be a retelling of sixth year so we are nearing the end. Having said that there will be one more chapter outlining the ramifications of the changes and the final confrontation with Voldy.

Thanks to all who have stuck with this story and I'll see you in a few days for the final installment!


	20. Chapter 20

**April 7, 1997 **

Hermione sunk into her now familiar position against Harry's side and waited for him to speak. They'd split up from Ron who was now most likely fending off questions from Lavender, Neville, and Ginny on all that they had learned that day. She was thankful Ron offered to deal with the inquisition on Harry's behalf.

The trio had agreed that they needed to have a long talk about what could be shared and to who but those discussions could begin tomorrow…or maybe the next day. They needed clear heads to plot and plan and her's was currently spinning from the information overload from their day long conversation with the headmaster. She heard Harry cast _Muffliato_ and patiently waited for him to speak.

"You know, part of me was hoping you had exaggerated how ridiculous Dumbledore's plan was. It's even more insane than you made it out to be."

She finally asked the question that had been on her mind for the last day. "Are you okay?"

He chuckled. "No. Not at all. But on the plus side I get to own the most powerful wand ever created in a few days. That's something I suppose."

Despite herself she laughed. "And to think, all you need to do to become the Master of Death is to let Professor Snape murder Dumbledore."

"Snape didn't look too great did he?"

"Slowly crumbling Unbreakable Vows tend to have that effect I suppose," she replied.

"Do you think Snape is on our side?" he asked.

"Dumbledore certainly thinks so."

"He's been wrong before…but the things Dumbledore said about him and Mum…" Harry offered helplessly before drifting off. There were so many unknowns.

"I think we should ask her," Harry finally offered.

"Her?"

"My mum."

Hermione pulled back. "You're joking."

"We are going to have the resurrection stone in less than a week, Hermione. Dumbledore wanted me to make peace before I died but I reckon we could use it for the opposite reason. To figure out a way to survive. We have this resource that will let us talk to people without any risk of our secrets spreading."

"You think you could handle that?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered, not sounding quite as sure of himself as he'd hoped. "But either way that's where you come in."

"Me?"

"You get to decide when we use it and only you will know where it is."

"The temptation could be too great," she theorized, "you could go behind my back and try to get it."

Harry pulled her back into his side as he let out a small laugh. "First of all there is no way I could ever figure out how to get past the security measures you would use to hide it. You're the one who always explains that sort of thing to me. I'd be clueless."

As she waited for him to continue she realized he wasn't wrong. He and Ron wouldn't even know where to start.

"Besides, I reckon the last thing my parents would want is for me to keep calling them up for a chat instead of focusing on this," he continued.

"So you're saying we should come up with a list of topics to question them about?" she asked, becoming more and more intrigued at the potential usefulness of the stone.

"Well, I assumed you'd be the one coming up with most of the questions, but yeah," he joked.

She playfully poked him in the ribs. "Dumbledore said we should avoid using the stone," she reminded.

"Yeah, well he was the one dumb enough to get himself cursed because of it. I've got you to stop me from doing something that stupid," he answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She pondered his words and realized there truly were many unanswered questions Harry's parents could provide answers to. The nature of Harry's protection…other potential research tools and Potter assets…even Horcrux theories.

She sat up and grabbed a blank piece of parchment and self inking quill out of her bag, eager to start making a list. As much as she wanted to relax for the rest of the evening their time was limited and there would be time for that once they were done. She'd expected Harry to protest but apparently he was in agreement.

Snape was due to _fulfill_ his vow of finishing Draco's task in five days and they needed to plan as much as possible while Dumbledore was still available for questions and input. After that they would truly be on their own and the headmaster was one person she had no intention of using the stone on if they could help it.

**Saturday, June 28, 1997**

As they prepared to pass through the barrier at Platform 9 ¾ Hermione took a breath and girded herself for the idiocy they were about to encounter. The fact that they had ten Order members standing behind them helped quash any nervousness that Harry's aunt and uncle would actually have a chance to do anything, but having to deal with them at all was enough to set her on edge. Besides, it was the discussion they would be having immediately after leaving the station that really weighed on her mind.

Hermione realized Harry was waiting on her and refocused on the task at hand. "Ready," she affirmed.

Harry nodded in agreement and stared at the barrier. "Just remember, let me do the talking here and-"

"I'll do the talking at Privet Drive," she interrupted, finishing his sentence. "Let's go. I don't want to keep my parents waiting."

They quickly passed through the barrier and she heard Ron quietly cast _Muffliato_ as well as a few silencing spells for good measure. Vernon Dursley was sure to be enraged at what they were about to share and any precautions to avoid undue attention would be worth it.

Harry's uncle seemed ready to bark out an order but another silencing spell from Ron beat him to the punch. She did her best not to laugh as Harry began explaining the orders of engagement for the summer.

"This is Hermione," he began as his Uncle's face began turning the most interesting shade of red, "she is going to be staying with us."

Harry's aunt was all set to voice her strenuous objections but apparently she had also been successfully muted.

"She is of age and can do as much magic as she wants," Harry continued. "She'll be expanding my room and adding some additional enchantments to the house…additional protections."

Harry's uncle attempted to lurch toward Harry but found himself rooted to his spot. "She'll be hitting you with spells like that as well if any of you try anything. She knows more magic than anyone I've ever met and she hates all of you with a passion, so I wouldn't try that again."

Hermione did her best to look intimidating but it was difficult considering how amusing the situation was.

"We'll be staying in my room most of the time but obviously we'll need to use the kitchen and toilet. We've worked out a schedule," Harry informed as he handed several sheets of muggle paper to his Aunt. Hermione was pleased with how well Harry was managing to give out orders and realized he was simply doing an impersonation of her. Unlike Harry and Ron, who at least _pretended _to listen, Harry's relatives didn't seem quite as agreeable.

Harry gestured to the gathered group standing behind them. "Throughout the next two months we will have visitors. They will be apparating into my room. That means they will basically transport themselves magically-"

Harry paused as his uncle's eye twitched rather violently in response to the _V_ and _M_ words.

"As I was saying, anyone visiting will transport and stay in our room while they are there, so you will never see them," he concluded before turning to her.

"Did I miss anything, Hermione?"

"The protections on the room," she reminded.

"Ah, right. If you value your limbs and your health in general don't even think of trying to come into my room. Hermione's come up with about twenty different spells that will inflict damage on anyone not on the approved list and you lot didn't come close to making it. You're on her _other_ list.

That everything?" he asked her once again.

She decided to keep quiet and simply nod her head while shooting her hosts the most pleasant smile she could manage. She was sure they would be having several conversations over the coming weeks anyway, whether they wanted to or not.

"Right," Harry continued. "Hermione and I are going to appar- do the teleporting thing I mentioned earlier, which should give us about a ninety minute head start on you two. If you leave us alone we'll leave you alone this summer. Nod if you understand and agree."

It took several more seconds of futile struggling against his magical bonds before Vernon gave up the fight, forcefully and angrily bobbing his head in agreement.

"My friends wanted to chat with you about some plans for when I turn seventeen and the protection on your house ends. Please listen to them, Uncle Vernon," Harry pleaded before turning away and leading her back through the magical barrier.

* * *

Hermione apparated the pair to a park near Privet Drive and they began walking toward their temporary base of operations, safely concealed underneath the invisibility cloak.

"Honestly Harry you didn't have to make me sound so ruthless," she commented quietly.

"I did," he countered immediately. "My uncle never listens. But it's not just that. Everyone takes you for granted, Hermione. They have no idea what you are capable of."

Harry suddenly stopped walking.

"What?"

"I've had an idea…how to end him if we manage to destroy all the Horcruxes," he informed as he began walking again.

"What is it?"

"We'll talk about it later," he replied. "We should focus on the next bit for now. Besides… you aren't going to like it."

Hermione tried not to think about Harry's cryptic tone as they turned onto Privet Drive She looked at her watch.

"My parents should be here in ten minutes," she informed. "It's not too late to-"

"We're giving them a choice, Hermione," Harry interrupted.

"But sending them away _and _casting-."

"We're giving them a choice," Harry repeated. "They deserve that."

Hermione knew he was right and they'd been arguing the same point for the last month. There was no need to rehash it further.

"I'm so glad you are doing the talking," Harry said nervously.

Hermione stifled a laugh. "If the Prophet could see you now. _The Chosen One_, afraid of his girlfriend's parents."

"It's more complicated than that," he protested feebly, "but yeah, mostly that."

"Just remember Mum is like me. She may get a bit upset and _forceful _but that's just how she expresses herself. Dad actually gets calmer when things are stressful…drives Mum and me crazy…"

"I like him already," Harry joked as they quietly made their way to the front door. "So they know to stay outside-"

"Until I come fetch them. We're going the forceful route with your cousin, right?" she asked before quietly casting _Alohomora _and entering the house.

"Wouldn't want to keep your parents waiting would we?" Harry asked with a grin as he pulled off the cloak. "Dudley!" he yelled. "Are you here?"

"Harry? What's going on-"

Dudley stopped talking immediately once he reached the top of the stairs, most likely because she had aimed her wand directly at him and was doing her best to look menacing.

"This is Hermione. She is my girlfriend. She is going to be staying here with me and is legally allowed to perform magic. Understand?"

She did her best not to laugh at Dudley's nervous gulp and nod.

"Great! We're going to be using the kitchen for the next hour. You can either stay in your room or leave. But the clock is running so you need to decide now!"

Dudley's eyes never left her wand as he pointed toward his room and slowly retreated out of sight.

* * *

Thirty minutes later they had explained as much as they could to her parents…her mother had begun pacing the floor a few minutes prior while her father remained still, staring at his hands as he considered what had been shared.

"So you're giving us two options: Sell the practice and move under assumed names and you'll remove every memory we have of-

"Not remove," Hermione interjected, "just hide. Temporarily."

"As I was saying," her mother continued, "and option two is we stay here and no-one else will know you are our daughter. It will be a secret like the house you stayed in over the summer."

"Right," Harry replied, "the only risk with the Fidelius would be if the Secret Keeper, that's me, tells someone."

"And what happens if one of you were to die?"

"If the Secret Keeper dies then that status passes to anyone else magical who knows the secret," Hermione supplied. "So it would pass to me."

"And if you died as well?"

Harry took over once again. "If we both die then there would be no-one left with magic that knew the secret. Hermione's theory is that the secret would end immediately. Everyone would remember…all public records would be restored…it would no longer be a secret."

"So you're saying the way we'll find out you've died is if a neighbor asks us what you are up to, because everyone will remember you."

"Something like that...yes," Hermione replied sadly. She couldn't think of a worse way to find out that a loved one had passed.

"If that happens you should leave England as soon as possible."

Her parents ignored her suggestion. Clearly their fate was the furthest thing from their mind at that point.

"So ultimately we'd be putting our trust in you," her father observed out loud after several moments of uncomfortable silence.

"Yes," Harry answered nervously, "but I swear sir I would never-"

Harry didn't have the chance to finish his thought as her mother interrupted. "Harry, you don't need to convince us. We have six years worth of letters and summers with Hermione making a pretty strong case for your character."

She sagged back into her chair, all of her previous fire now gone. "Besides, it doesn't really matter what we say does it? We're just helpless muggles after all."

"Mum," Hermione began before realizing she had no adequate reply.

"Jane and I expected we'd be having this sort of conversation today. We'll be going with Option Two," her father chimed in quietly. "I assume we need to do it straightaway?" he asked as he grasped his wife's hand for support.

Hermione knew it was a fruitless effort but decided to make one more attempt.

"You should still consider moving off the continent," she suggested hopefully. "The distance would provide a bit more protection in addition to the Fidelius. America specifically has some really nice areas where the demand for dentists-"

"Janey," he interrupted kindly, "do you remember what I said to you at Christmas? You and Harry would never turn tail and run. We aren't going anywhere. And we aren't interested in hiding our memories of you."

After several more moments of uncomfortable silence her mother plowed forward. "Let's get this spell over with so I can properly start saying goodbye."

Five minutes later the spell had been cast and the 'secret' had been shared with her parents. Only four people in the world now knew that Hermione was the daughter of David and Jane Granger.

"There is one other thing we need to discuss," Hermione said after the tearful hugs had been shared, knowing they may never see each other again. "I need you to take care of Crooks," she requested.

"Now you're asking too much," her father joked, drawing a discontented mewl from his new housemate.

**August 1, 1997**

"_The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead_."

As the lynx Patronus disappeared from sight she felt Harry grab her hand. One more pillar of their support was gone. The pillar had been tenuous and the support had been brief but it had borne one particularly large piece of fruit.

"At least they helped us with the cup," Harry muttered as he tried to not look concerned. He was truly awful at pretending not to be concerned.

"It's going to be fine," Hermione falsely reassured. It was a horrible effort on her part.

**October 30, 1997**

Hermione stared at the coin in her hand, not quite believing the message it delivered. It was really happening.

_We think we found one. Rowena Ravenclaw had a diadem and we found it in the Room of Requirement thanks to Luna and Dobby. It feels just like you described. Let me know when you'll be coming so Abe will know to expect you._

Within seconds she heard Harry and Ron bounding into the room. Apparently they'd read the message as well.

"We've really done it," Ron observed. "Suppose we go through with the next part. Can we trust him to come through?"

"Dumbledore trusts him and he knows we've been holed up in Grimmauld. He could have given us up by now but he didn't," Harry replied. "What do you think, Hermione?"

Hermione knew exactly what she thought. She'd had almost six months to come up with a better plan than Harry's ridiculous idea but had come up short. His was so simple and logical but, unfortunately, put him at risk. She'd listened to his own parents try to talk him out of his idea (twice!) but their arguments had been solely based on emotion. Logically, unemotionally, she knew Harry's idea made the most sense to ensure victory.

She thought once again about the most illogical part of this illogical and constantly evolving order of events, the prophecy given by that old bat so many years ago. It was irrational to believe that she was part of the _neither _but she clung to that belief as a life line.

Hermione pondered Snape and his loyalties for what felt like the millionth time in the last year. Once again the same overriding thought poked through; despite his failings and trust issues their former headmaster seemed to be keenly aware of whom to put his faith in. His belief in Harry was tangible proof.

She let her logical brain reply before she could let her irrational heart talk her out of it. "We've come this far and I haven't been able to sort out a solution. Harry's right."

"When do you reckon?" Ron asked.

"Tomorrow," Harry answered immediately. "Tomorrow we go to Hogwarts and end this."

Thirty minutes later they had gone over the plan three more times: go to Hogwarts, destroy the diadem, and send the signal to Snape. Then once Snape, hopefully, did his part, they would follow Harry's stupid plan.

"I'll let the Order know," Ron supplied before exiting the room. It was an awfully transparent excuse to give them a bit of privacy but she appreciated the effort nonetheless.

As the seconds dragged on and the silence became more and more oppressive the thing that she'd denied for months, the thing that she forced herself not to think about in front of Harry, hit her in full force. She felt the tears begin to slide down her face but this time she had neither the will nor the resolve to stop them. Hermione felt Harry's arms wrap around her and any of her remaining resolve crumbled. She wasn't sure how long they stood there in that room crying…but it had felt good…long overdue.

"You know what day tomorrow is," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Yeah," he answered softly, "I reckon it's just a day though…and I'd like to have another good memory associated with it."

"Another?" she asked.

"First year," he continued, "I helped this overbearing girl in my year. She's kept me sorted since then. Best day of my life actually…"

She wasn't sure how she managed it but she buried herself in even further.

Hermione could feel Harry playing with her hair. "We can wait if you want to...try to come up with a different plan. If you don't think you can do your part-"

"It's decided," she interrupted forcefully. The task on her shoulders was the least of her concerns. "Tomorrow."

**October 31, 1997**

"_The snake is dead," _the doe Patronus proclaimed before quickly fading away. Snape had played his part. There was only one Horcrux remaining.

Voldemort had responded just as Dumbledore had predicted, descending on Hogwarts based on Snape's summons, preying on Harry's selflessness to sacrifice himself on behalf of his friends…to do the right thing. It was all so predictable.

She tapped out a message to Ron, doing her best to quell the shaking of her wand.

_We're going. Make sure you're ready_ _and don't worry about us. Just finish them._

As they made their way to the forest under the cloak Hermione willed her feet to keep moving forward, mentally repeating the mantra in her head as motivation to not turn tail and run with Harry.

_Neither can live while the other survives._

She kept walking…kept moving forward…they were so close now. As they neared the clearing where Voldemort had summoned them she felt a tug on her hand. She steeled herself and turned to look at Harry.

Harry took the fabled wand out of his mokeskin pouch and placed it softly into her waiting hand. She felt a surge of _something _pulse through her body and reflexively gripped the wand tighter. It belonged to her now…both of them most likely. She was sure Ollivander would patiently explain how such a thing wasn't possible but she wasn't interested. They were the _Neither, _they were the Masters of Death, and they were going to fulfill the prophecy.

"Hermione-" he began before she abruptly cut him off. He'd promised

"Don't say it," she commanded. "Don't say goodbye. This isn't goodbye."

Harry looked like he wanted to continue but held his tongue, opting instead to settle on a muted nod of agreement.

"It's going to work, Hermione," he stated instead. "They always forget about you…take you for granted. It's going to work."

The damned tears had started forming once again but she quickly brushed them away. She'd allowed herself to cry in Harry's arms last night but now was not the time. It was time to end it. All of it.

"I love you," she whispered as he left the safety of the invisibility cloak.

"Me too," he replied softly as he continued walking forward.

She trailed behind him, stopping only when they reached the clearing. As all eyes immediately became pinned to Harry she realized that he had been right. Whether it was the remarkable magic woven into the invisibility cloak or they had simply underestimated her, they had no clue she was there.

Hermione watched and listened as they taunted and laughed at him, wholly unaware or unconcerned that Harry had purposely positioned himself upwind. They were merciless and cruel in their taunts before Voldemort ordered them to quiet. She'd expected to be terrified when she'd finally come face to face with the dark lord but the opposite had occurred. He seemed slightly pathetic…thoroughly desperate to enforce to his followers that he could not be destroyed.

She felt the wand in her hand stir to life, imploring her to act, to fulfill its destiny...to fulfill _their_ destiny. _Soon,_ she silently mused.

It took all of her willpower not to scream as Harry was struck with the killing curse. She had to focus…she'd promised Harry that she would focus. Once she'd done her part then she could check on Harry, and he would be alive. The Horcrux would be gone and Harry would live. Neither could live while the other survived. She was sure of it.

Her heart surged as she looked back toward the Death Eaters and saw them now huddled around Voldemort's lifeless body. Whether it was the blood protection or backlash from the Horcrux being destroyed Voldemort had clearly been affected...knocked unconscious at the very least. This was her chance.

She quickly made her way over to Harry, positioning herself between his prone form and Voldemort's army, all huddled around him. All panicked. All downwind. She quickly cast a myriad of protections charms on Harry's body, purposely trying to avoid looking at his face.

Once the task was finished she turned and faced her enemy. She couldn't actually see Voldemort due to the throng of supporters that now surrounded him, but that was fine. They'd chosen their path. She'd had months…years even…to reconcile what she was about to do.

In addition to her fruitless efforts to devise a different strategy, Hermione had spent the last few months studying anything and everything she could get her hands on about the spell she was about to cast. Books from Grimmauld, Knockturn Alley, from McGonagall and Flitwick, even from Xenophilius Lovegood. But as much reading as she'd done, as much as she'd studied and analyzed, it was Bellatrix Lestrange's simple instruction to Harry in the Department of Mysteries that had resonated the most.

With dark magic, destructive magic, in the end there was really only one component necessary. There was a reason it was so seductive…if the key component was present the casting became easy. It was hard to simulate it in her training but right now…in this moment…with what was at stake…whose_ lives _were at stake…it was virtually seeping out of her pores.

You simply had to _mean_ it.

"_Fiendfyre."_

The affect was immediate and all consuming, engulfing the nearby Death Eaters and forcing the rest into retreat as the fire continued to seek out its targets. Whether Voldemort had been alive was now irrelevant as his body was now ash.

Hermione desperately wanted to stop and check on Harry but she forced herself to move forward…to keep pushing the panicked throng toward her waiting allies. She felt the wand urging her on…to be more aggressive…to consume and destroy any and every enemy possible. But containment was now the plan. Containment and capture.

Hermione could hear and see the spell fire that was being blindly fired at her but kept moving forward. They had agreed that she would stop pushing when she was seriously injured, to retreat to safety under the cloak. But whether it was her own shield, or pure luck, she remained unscathed. Her heart was screaming at her to check on Harry but she kept moving. The job wasn't finished and she promised Harry she would keep going.

Hermione could feel herself weakening now…the power of the spell and her desire to see Harry were beginning to have an affect. She heard muffled shouting and realized it was her allies…she had successfully led the remaining horde of enemies into the trap. She was so hot…and so tired…she just wanted Harry. Only Harry…

And suddenly she felt a ruffle of the cloak and he was there…pressed into her back and his hand over hers on the wand…now powering the spell on her behalf. He was alive…he was alive and they were the Masters of Death and she had finished her task just like she promised. And he had come back…just like he promised.

She let go of the wand and turned, latching onto her lifeline. She felt Harry's free arm wrap around her waist and she let go…truly let go. "You're alive," she mumbled as she buried herself into the small of his shoulder.

"I'm alive," he repeated..

**January 5, 1998**

Hermione was exhausted. She'd spent the entire last month worrying and thinking over all the bits and pieces that could go sideways today, and so many things _had_ gone sideways.

She'd had so little time to plan, and there were so many new dynamics and variables in play, she knew from the off that her hopes for perfect execution were slim to none. And all things considered, it had gone pretty well. As well as could be expected, but that was mainly thanks to-

"Finally!" Harry exclaimed as they entered the shared dormitories of the Hogwarts Head Boy and Girl.

She let out a discontented sigh as she entered her room and realized her trunk was nowhere to be found. It had been an extremely long, extremely frantic, and extremely annoying day…and she desperately needed to get out of her uniform. The one benefit of being in hiding was getting to wear ridiculously comfortable clothes all the time. Having to wear the Hogwarts uniform once again had been bordering on soul crushing.

"Ranty!" she called into the ether, eternally grateful as the elf popped into the room.

"Miss Granger be needing something?" Ranty asked impatiently. "Ranty is very busy with new students going to the wrong places!"

"I was just wondering if someone could help find my trunk? It seems to have been waylaid. Maybe in the Gryffindor dormitory? I'd go look myself but it's been a very long day and-"

Before she could finish her sentence the diminutive elf had grabbed her hand and forcibly pulled her out of the room.

"Miss Granger's trunk is in the room where she will be sleeping!" she informed, pointing to Harry's room. "We elves is not stupid!" she declared before popping out of sight.

Any awkwardness caused by the revelation that the elves truly did know _everything_ that happened within the castle walls was quickly shushed away. She _needed _to get out of this infernal uniform.

She found Harry in his room, halfway through shedding himself of their awful, constricting garments. Hermione sighed wistfully as she watched her boyfriend pull on one of his new jumpers.

"Looks like the elves are onto us," he joked, gesturing toward her trunk.

"Ranty just informed me. Are we that obvious?" she asked as she quickly set to work.

Harry shrugged. "I'm just glad we don't have to sneak around."

"Me too," she exclaimed as she threw on one of Harry's unfairly comfortable Quidditch jerseys. All was right with the world once again. She couldn't wait until she could start stealing some of Harry's new clothes.

Ten minutes later she re-entered their common room, a stack of books in her arms. Hermione wasn't sure what she wanted to start working on and she wanted to minimize having to leave Harry's side as much as possible. Having multiple options within arms reach seemed like the most prudent solution.

Her arms were piled so high with options and her mind so preoccupied that she hadn't realized how _familiar_ the couch seemed before actually taking a seat beside Harry.

"Harry, I think this is couch from the Gryffindor common room," she informed.

"Yeah," he commented casually. "I asked McGonagall if we could have it moved here."

"When did you ask her that?" she asked, as she buried herself into his side and smiled. It truly was their couch now.

"When she asked me to be Head Boy," he answered. He draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her in closer.

"We could ask for things?" she continued. None of the information the headmistress provided said anything about being able to _ask_ for things.

She felt Harry' shrug an answer before letting out a tired sigh. "I know we need to start getting caught up but I'm beat," he informed as he closed his eyes. It was clear that he would not be joining her study session that evening.

Hermione pondered the books sitting beside her. Their end of year NEWTS had been pushed back to mid August to accommodate for the shortened academic calendar but she _needed _to get cracking. It was important to set the tone from the off and the last thing she could afford to do would be to fall into bad habits.

Before she could decide where to begin Crookshanks jumped onto her lap. She decided she could wait a few minutes to begin. Her kneazle had been cooped up here alone since the train ride and the least she could do was give him a bit of attention.

Hermione had meant to move her kneazle to the open space beside her and get to work at some point. That's what she'd meant to do. But before she could manage it she'd reflexively begun scratching Crookshanks in the spot that always elicited a purr. And as the seconds ticked by... as she stared into the fire…and buried herself a bit more into the small of Harry's shoulder where she knew she fit perfectly…her plans for the evening changed.

Her NEWT scores would undoubtedly suffer but it was time to face facts. Tonight would be the first night off of the year with many more to come.

_._


End file.
